


Unacknowledged Legislators

by quercus



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-09-14
Updated: 2001-09-14
Packaged: 2017-10-05 12:09:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quercus/pseuds/quercus





	Unacknowledged Legislators

"I simply can't believe this." Daniel stared into the monitor at the picture the MALP was sending through the open wormhole. Carter pressed against him; she kept shaking her head. Jack was complaining bitterly that he couldn't see. Teal'c stood behind them with his arms crossed.

"Tell me this is a video feed," Jack was saying. "I refuse to believe that's what we'll find if we pop through that rabbit hole."

"Only one way to find out, sir," Carter told him, and Daniel nodded, never taking his eyes off the scene playing out before them.

"We have to go, Jack. We have to."

The wormhole closed and the image flickered and died. Daniel and Carter sighed in unison, and straightened up. "Replay that, would you, Sergeant Davis?" Carter requested, and they bent over again, rapt.

"Oh, come on. Just who's in charge here? Let me see," Jack complained, and they reluctantly backed up a bit to let him in between them, then pressed forward again, leaning against him as the video restarted. He smiled at the image they must've presented from the rear; fortunately, Teal'c was on their six.

Then he started watching, still stunned by what they saw. The MALP had rolled a few feet from the stargate and appeared to be sitting in an open-air Grand Central Station. It was late afternoon on planet PX-whatever, the sun's rays a mellow red-gold as they slanted across the tall grasses immediately around the stargate. That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the number of people striding purposefully past the MALP, glancing at it with small curiosity. A group of kids bounced by and one ran up and apparently hugged it, then dashed back laughing as some adult gestured and called to her.

And the kinds of people passing by -- Jack was reminded of the cantina scene in Star Wars. Most were human or human-like in design, but many were not. Most walked on two legs, but some were on four, and a few on wheels. They were boarding or exiting what looked like trains, except they hovered quietly a few inches over the grasses, which blew gently beneath them.

"It's like the Terminal in Rome," Daniel suggested, and Carter agreed.

"I can't believe how many *people* there are," she said. "And look, there are," and she moved her finger over the monitor, careful not to smear it with her fingerprints, "one, two, three, um, four, and back here, isn't that a fifth train?"

"I think there's a sixth one over here, too, out of camera range of the MALP. Look at the path and how people are walking toward it."

"I think you're right."

"Should I call General Hammond?" Davis asked, and Jack nodded.

"Yeah. See if he wants to come down here, or if you should feed this image into the briefing room, and we'll go up. So, Carter, Daniel. What have we found?"

Carter glanced at Daniel, who took a deep breath. "Well, obviously we can't know until we get there, Jack. But it looks like any other busy transit mall I've ever seen or dug. I think that, whoever all these people are, the stargate is just another part of their public transportation system."

"Wow. Better than the monorail at Disneyland." The image flickered and died again. "I take it you both think we should go."

"Don't you?" Daniel asked, a frown creasing his brow. "How can you not want to go?"

"Oh, well, not knowing what kind of reception we'll find there. Not wanting to take a military presence in the midst of a large civilian population. Gosh, let me think about that, Daniel."

Daniel blushed a little, but didn't back down. "We don't have to use our guns first thing, Jack. We could just go, just like any other tourist."

"The Air Force isn't sending us to be tourists," Jack started, but Daniel held up his hand, index finger extended, and Jack rolled his head back. "What? What?"

"We go as peaceful explorers. Take our weapons, yes, but don't have them out."

"No way, Daniel. Might as well not take any ammunition."

"Well, what would happen if you went to the bus station in Denver with your P90 drawn? Don't you think that would be noticed? Maybe even cause a little panic? What are these people going to do?"

"Sir," Carter interrupted. "Here's a compromise. Let's open the wormhole again, and try to communicate with them from here. Ask a few questions. Daniel, could you understand the language?"

"I'd need to work with it on with my department. I don't know. Maybe."

"Well, work on it. Get a copy of the tape and listen to it a few thousand times, figure out what they're saying. Then talk to them."

"Good idea, Colonel. Doctor Jackson, is that possible?" General Hammond spoke from behind them.

Daniel turned, looking unhappy. "Maybe. I need to hear the language first, before I can commit."

"Very well, son. You do that. Let me know if you need any help. I agree; this is an exciting discovery. From the little clip I saw, no Goa'uld anywhere."

"Not any we could see," Jack said, watching as Daniel bent over Davis to arrange for a tape. Maybe he'd stop by for a while, see how Daniel was doing. Make sure he ate something and didn't work all night.

"All right, then. We'll wait on Doctor Jackson's findings before we make a decision. I'm sure you're all busy people." A clearer dismissal Jack had never heard, so he followed Daniel out the door and into the corridor toward the elevators.

"Daniel." Daniel stopped and turned in surprise. "Didn't mean to snap at you. It's just I can't risk you or any of my people on an unknown world, when we've only seen a few minutes of video-taped action there."

"I know, Jack," he said patiently, and Jack relaxed. "You wanna see the tape again from my office?"

"Sure. I want to look more closely for guards or soldiers. See what we might be up against."

"A civilian population that has places to go, things to do."

"I'd like that," Jack said, surprising himself. "Be a change, at least." They started walking together toward Daniel's office. Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. "Wonder where all those trains go."

"I was wondering about the grass."

"The grass."

"Yeah, did you notice it?"

"The grass."

"Jack. The grass -- well, grasses. There were all different kinds. I'm gonna ask Emmett to take a look at the tape. He has some experience in paleo-botany. Maybe he can identify what we're looking at. See if any of it might be from earth."

"The grass."

Daniel rolled his eyes, but Jack could see his mouth was curling into a smile, probably against his will. "Guess what I've got in my office."

"Cookies?"

"Yup. Those little cinnamon-and-sugar covered puff pastry things from Italy."

"Where do you find this stuff? And are you telling me to torment me, or to share?"

"Catherine and Ernest just got back from a month in Italy. Florence, Assisi, Perugia. They sent cookies and candy."

"Chocolate from Perugia? I used to get those for Sara. She loved them. Baci, little kisses, with notes inside the wrapper."

"That's what they got me." They were at Daniel's office now; Jack knew better than to make coffee, but he did pull out the filters and beans as a hint while Daniel unlocked a desk drawer and pulled out the box of cookies. "The candy's at home. If you're good, I'll bring you some."

"Hey, I'm your supervisor." He tried to sound threatening, but merely whined. Daniel raised his eyebrows, deadpan, but obediently started the coffee while Jack tried a cookie.

"Bring up that video again," Daniel said over his shoulder, and Jack turned on the monitor, popping in the video tape Davis had given them. "I'll get copies made and spread them around my department. Sam should have one, too."

"Unh-hunh," Jack said through the cookie, staring at the scene before him. Once again he noticed the slant of the sunlight, the way the trains hovered a few inches above the ground, the grasses stirring beneath, and of course all the people as they milled past the camera's lens. "Why didn't they notice the MALP?"

"They did." Daniel sat next to him, and he smelled coffee as it began to drip. "See, look." Daniel pointed here and there as the scene played out: someone looking toward the camera, someone else pointing toward it, and the little girl who hugged the MALP.

"Still. To use your analogy, if weird shit like this rolled into the Denver bus station, wouldn't somebody do something? Kick its tires? Point a gun?"

Daniel shook his head and took a bite of his cookie, still staring at the images on the monitor. "Good question," he murmured, and Jack felt inexplicably proud. "Because weird shit like this happens all the time?"

Now that was a disconcerting thought. Jack didn't respond, just shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay, Jack. Time to go."

"Excuse me?"

"I gotta listen to the languages being spoken, and I can't do that with you here. Take a cookie and come back in a couple hours."

"Well, you know, I have important things to do, too. I can't just be dropping in whenever you want."

"Okay. Come back when you can. I'll be here."

"I'm takin' *two* cookies."

Daniel waved and slipped on headphones, already engrossed.

Jack wandered through the corridor back to his own office, munching cookies. He'd taken a whole handful, in compensation for being kicked out so unceremoniously. It was more fun hangin' with Daniel than doing work that Jack did, in fact, have, and that was, in fact, important, and that he'd now have to do.

So it was with great relief when he finally sat back from his computer, stretching luxuriously. He glanced at his chronometer; time for a break. A real break. Maybe even a going-off-base break, preferably with Daniel, so he'd get a real break, too. But that would, of course, depend on the good doctor.

Who was surrounded by other doctors at the moment, all listening to headphones, writing notes and then pointing at each other silently. Daniel's department. Jack was so proud of him. He remembered the wide-eyed, socially-inept Daniel he'd first met, all those years ago. Laughed at, according to Catherine, by some of the very scientists who now reported to him and whom he'd recruited to SGC. Daniel had a generous and forgiving soul, Jack thought, not for the first time. He leaned against the doorframe and watched. As if he'd known Jack was there, Daniel lifted his head and smiled at him.

"Okay, let's take a break."

"Daniel, no, no. I've almost got this, I know," Sue Gereighty said, not looking up from her notes.

"Well, okay, *I'm* taking a break. The rest of you do as you wish. But we've made good progress, so try not to kill yourselves."

"Hey," Jack said as he turned and Daniel fell in step with him. "Wanna split for a while?"

"Oh, Jack. I'd like that, but I really need to get back in there."

"You said you'd made good progress."

"Well, yes, but that's the sort of thing one has to say."

"I never say that."

Daniel just glanced at him. "I think the commissary. Maybe tomorrow we'll have reason to go out and celebrate."

Jack had to be content, then, with less than an hour of Daniel's time, and in the commissary at that, but that was something. "So what did you discover?"

"Well." Daniel peered through the sneeze-guard at the saran-covered offerings, a frown marring his features. "We've identified four separate languages, we think, one of which seems to be produced artificially. Possibly from a loudspeaker. I'm guessing it's announcing train departures.

"Of the four, two are definitely Germanic in structure and vocabulary. In fact, one is rather English-like. We think we've translated a few phrases from both. Another seems to be Latinate, and we've made some progress there, too. The amplified one is completely unknown to us, yet even people we've observed speaking a Germanic or Latin-based language pause and listen to the announcement. Clearly, everyone there is bilingual."

"Clearly," Jack said, picking up a roast beef sandwich. Daniel took it from his tray and put it back where he'd got it. "Hey."

"Jack, the meat in that was iridescent. I don't think that's one of the signs of freshness. Have the egg salad."

"It gives me gas."

"Well, we're not sharing a tent tonight, so I'll risk it. Better that than you giving yourself food poisoning."

Jack took the egg salad, grumbling, and then a large slice of apple pie as well. Daniel, he noticed, had a chicken caesar salad and a hard roll.

By the time they'd settled at their usual table, Daniel had given him a list of the words they thought they understood. He also had a list of the grasses by the stargate.

"I was right. Some of them are from earth, but from very different climatic zones or elevations. Emmett speculates that the seeds are dropped by incoming travelers, so they're basically volunteers."

"Like birds shitting seeds miles from where the parent bush was."

"Exactly. Travelers probably carried the seeds on their shoes when they went through the stargate. Strikes me as something the Ancients would have tried to protect against. I can imagine a situation in which an alien spore killed every inhabitant. Emmett also says there are species he doesn't recognize; he wants samples of those."

Jack didn't say anything. Scientists always wanted samples.

"We're pretty sure that our first guess was correct," Daniel continued, "and that we're looking at a transit system. People come through the stargate and hop on the appropriate train." He fixed Jack with a pleading look, one that both men knew was quite effective. "We need to go there, Jack. Imagine the type of civilization this must be, that they can risk putting a major transit system right next to a stargate."

"Either they're allies with the Goa'uld, or they've reached some kind of agreement with the Goa'uld, or it's a protected planet, or they're unknown to the Goa'uld."

"Exactly. And two of those scenarios require some minimal contact with the Goa'uld, but we've seen nothing. Not a dress style, not a Jaffa, not Goa'uld technology, not a clue."

The egg salad wasn't too bad, Jack thought, watching Daniel scarf down his salad. And the company made it even tastier. "Okay. I'll see if I can swing it with Hammond. It'll probably sell itself, though. Any idea which of the languages you've identified is the dominant one?"

"No. Not at all. No sign there is a dominant one."

"Well, when we send the second MALP through, you'll need a script to try to get someone to talk to you."

"Working on that already. We'll have something for you tomorrow."

"Cool."

Daniel smiled at him from behind a forkful of lettuce and then redirected his attention to the food.

They parted soon after, Daniel going back to his den of mad scientists and Jack heading home, exhausted. He had a mission to plan.

Daniel and his team had drafted a script that he'd speak through the MALP to the crowd in the transit mall. Assuming there was still a crowd and what they'd seen wasn't some freak occurrence. Or images piped in, the way Togar had piped in the beach scene. But Hammond and Daniel speaking through the MALP had worked on Togar, Jack reminded himself, so this would probably work, too.

"Basically, I just introduce myself and the SGC, say we're peaceful travelers from another planet, and ask if we could come through the stargate to visit with them."

Jack stared at him. All those doctorates and that's what they came up with? General Hammond, however, seemed content to rely on Daniel's expertise, Carter anxious to reopen the wormhole, and Teal'c mildly entertained at the entire situation, so he held his tongue and just glanced at Daniel, who smiled back. Endearing, Jack thought, sighing to himself. Goddamn him. He's endearing.

So Sam and Sergeant Davis and the other minions of the gate room did their supercomputer version of the DHD, and the wormhole whooshed into existence with its usual flair for the dramatic, and after a few seconds, the grainy and jumpy image of the transmit mall re-appeared on the monitors in the gate room. It was earlier in the day than the last time they'd seen this place; the light was angled differently, and there were fewer people, although still a good number.

Everyone stared at it anxiously. "It isn't the same image," Daniel said, and Carter agreed.

"Yes, the trains are in different positions, and this one's a completely different color."

"And the people are different, too," Daniel said, and Jack smiled. Of course, Carter would notice the technology and Daniel would notice the people. "Look, we've never seen this guy before." Jack thought "guy" was an optimistic term for the creature Daniel was pointing out, but had to agree he'd never seen anything like it before.

"Go ahead, Doctor Jackson," Hammond instructed, and Daniel cleared his throat before bending to the microphone. The words had an English inflection to them, Jack thought, staring at his friend, with the guttural "ch" sound of German. "Namen," that had to be name. Hmm.

He transferred his glance to the monitor in time to see several of the passersby slow and even stop to listen. No obvious guards; at least, no one in what Jack would consider a uniform. No Goa'uld, either.

After a few seconds, a little kid tugged on its mother's hand and pulled her to the MALP. "Ollo," she said, or Jack thought she did. "Vee gates?" Wie geht's? he wondered.

"Ollo," Daniel said back. "I'm Daniel. Who are you?"

"Daniel." The little girl beamed and looked up at her mother, who smiled. The MALP began to be surrounded by people, bending over to peer into the camera, laughing and talking. No one seemed threatened or frightened.

"Froynt?" Daniel asked, and the little girl nodded her head.

"Daniel?" A tall man asked with reddish hair, leaning forward toward the camera. "Hver fra du?"

"Uhh, Midgard. Earth. Erde."

He shook his head. "Kommen zee heer," he said.

"Danke! Hey, he said we should go there."

"Ah, ah. Not so fast," Jack interjected. "Ask him why?"

"Hvy? Am seon du," the man replied to Jack's words.

"To see us," Daniel translated, but Jack had already figured it out.

"Hvy?" Jack asked again, trying their language. "Hvy, uh, seon du?"

The man stared into the camera, and Jack felt an almost irrational conviction that he was looking right at Jack.

"Namen?"

After a moment, Jack said, "Jack."

"Ollo, Jack."

"Uh, ollo. Namen?" Daniel was staring at Jack almost as intensely as the guy on the other planet, and with a good deal more admiration.

"Hrolfzenpurnatzin."

Okay. Not even gonna go there. "Hi. Ollo," Jack finally said.

"Jack unt Daniel. Vilt nay oost kommen?"

They looked at each other, Daniel's desire to go beaming from him like a beacon from a lighthouse, and then to General Hammond, who had a small smile on his face. "Gentlemen. Your decision."

"Please, Jack. Please. Let's go."

"Okay. Tell him okay."

And Daniel said something like "nu, nu!" that made the other people around the MALP smile and nod.

"SG-1. I expect to hear back from you in no more than two hours. We'll open the wormhole from our end."

Jack chivvied his team out of the observation room and down onto the ramp leading through the stargate. "Daniel. Don't get too excited. Stay focused on our mission."

"Yes, Jack." But he was smiling as hard as the little girl had been and was half way up the ramp before the words had left Jack's mouth. He hurried after him, with Carter and Teal'c at his side.

And then he was standing on the other side of the glimmering event horizon, staring at the cluster of people who'd collected around the MALP and were now staring back at him. "Daniel!" the little girl cried, and pulled away from her mother to run up to them. She looked into each of their faces.

"I'm Daniel," he said, kneeling in front of her, and she shyly walked over to him. "Ollo."

"Ollo." He put his hand out and she took one finger, then tugged. "Mamay, mamay, Daniel shto heer!" And that broke the spell and the others smiled up at them, some turning to hurry to catch their trains, others beginning to talk to their friends, but a few approaching them.

The tall man who'd spoken so confidently to them approached Daniel as well and began an intense conversation. Daniel pointed at Jack, and he straightened. "Uh, Rolf?" he asked, unable and not entirely willing to try the entire name.

The tall man smiled. "Jack. Goot am zee du."

"Yeah, goot." Jack felt like an idiot, and gestured to Daniel, who, still holding the little girl's hand, stood up to act as translator.

After a few seconds, he said, "Hrolfzenpurnatzin has to leave; he has some place he has to go. But he'd like to spend some time with us. He wonders if we can go with him."

"No train tickets," Jack said idly, trying to assess if this Rolf guy was a threat.

"None needed, apparently. He's going into the next city to the east, which I gather is that way?" Daniel looked at Hrolfzenpurnatzin for guidance, who nodded. "He said it only takes a short time to get there."

"Yeah, but we don't know what they consider a 'short time' here. We need to report back in two hours."

Daniel and Hrolfzenpurnatzin spoke for nearly a minute, and Daniel showed Hrolfzenpurnatzin his chronometer. Hrolfzenpurnatzin looked regretfully at them, and Daniel said, "Then he has to go. He's glad to have met us, and hopes we'll come back."

Hrolfzenpurnatzin jogged off toward his train, which was already starting to move away. He gracefully leaped on board, and then leaned back out to raise his hand in farewell. "Nice guy," Jack said. "Wish he coulda hung around."

He turned to his teammates. "Okay. Let's figure out what's going on, try to stay on task. Daniel."

"Yes, Jack. Um, Sam, why don't you and Teal'c examine one of the trains? I'll just, um. Mingle."

"I can mingle," Jack said, and followed Daniel into the crowd. "Hey. How ya doin'? Hi. Hi."

The little girl and her mother had to go, and Jack and Daniel waved at them almost as enthusiastically as they waved back from the train. One of the wheeled people rolled by and Jack took the opportunity to stroll alongside it, examining it as it bumped over the path. "Ollo," he tried out, and it slowed a bit. It was boxy shaped, on three wheels: two in front and one in back. Not in the least ergonomic, with protrusions like telescopes without lenses. One of the protrusions swiveled up and looked at Jack; he reached out and gently touched it with a forefinger. It didn't feel artificial, which freaked him out, so he jerked his hand back. "Sorry, sorry."

The thing stared at him a few seconds more, then bounced in place and started off again. He remained behind, watching it in amazement. When it reached a train, it bounced again, right onto the extruding platform, and then rolled inside. Cool, he thought.

The stargate's wormhole whooshed into existence, startling Jack. He couldn't believe two hours had passed. He gathered up his marveling teammates, wishing he'd set his chronometer to beep so he'd've been ready, and had them report.

"SG-1," General Hammond's voice greeted them. "What have you discovered?"

Jack nodded at Daniel, who turned to the camera. "No one I've spoken with admitted to knowing about the Goa'uld, sir. They were all on their way somewhere else -- to work, to visit family, going home. Apparently the stargate isn't used that often, but often enough that no one was surprised when it activated. I did meet a few people who've been offworld, but most didn't seem very interested, except as a novelty. I'm not sure, but I think one man told me that he heard there was very casual sex available on some planet called Volar. I think."

"Get the address?" Jack murmured mischievously, but Daniel ignored him, as he'd hoped.

"A woman told me the stargate has always been here. That there used to be a city here, but when the trains were invented, cities sort of disappeared. They aren't really needed anymore, with transportation like this. Oh, and they call the trains 'weggen.' I think that's both singular and plural." He turned to Sam, who picked up from there.

"The trains, the, the weggen, are far beyond our current technological abilities, General. I can't even tell where the engines are, or what's powering them. They just seem to hover, about six to ten inches above the ground. I had Teal'c climb aboard one and jump, but it had no effect.

"When one pulls out, there is a slight sensation on the skin, almost like static electricity, but it quickly fades. The grass underneath the weggen moves, although I couldn't feel any downdraft, the way there'd be with a hovercraft. And they're silent."

"I asked about the weggen, how they work," Daniel added. "Most people just shrugged, but one woman said the 'faths,' the power, came from 'aer." I asked her what she meant, but I couldn't understand the words. I did write them down, so maybe when I get back I can translate them. Or some of them."

"I went aboard several of these weggen," Teal'c said. "They are unlike the transportation I am familiar with on earth or on Chulak. They have stairways, and open seating that can be moved. I saw people eating on board."

Jack wished he'd thought to jump on the weggen; well, he still had a chance.

"Colonel, what's your assessment?"

"Sir, I'd like to take one of these weggen, see where it goes."

"Is that wise, sir?" Carter asked, her pretty face creasing in worry.

"I think we should, too," Daniel told her, as Jack had known he would. "We can spend more time with people that way, learn more about the culture. Maybe you could find how the weggen are powered."

"Very well, Colonel. I'll give you forty-eight hours. That should be plenty of time to go and return."

"Thank you, sir."

"Hammond out." The wormhole collapsed, and Jack sighed.

"Off on another adventure," he said, clapping his hands together. Daniel smiled at him, and even Carter looked pleased. Teal'c looked interested and mildly entertained. "Okay. Which one? How do you know which train, uh, weggen, is going where?"

"Oh, I know that," Daniel said, and strode over to the nearest weggen, keeping out of the way of a group of young people climbing on board. They pointed at SG-1's uniforms and laughed; Jack tried not to take offense. "See? I think this is the destination. It's different on each weggen." It didn't look like any kind of writing Jack was familiar with, but he trusted Daniel on these things.

"Could be the weggen's name," Jack offered.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess. Wait." He turned to an elderly man having troubling stepping up the few inches to the weggen's boarding platform and put a hand under the man's elbow, talking as he did. Once the man had boarded, Daniel said, "No, that's the destination. The weggen don't have names."

"So," Jack said. "Which one?"

The four teammates stared around them. At the moment, there were three weggen floating near the stargate, two heading in the same direction they'd emerged, one off at an angle from the stargate. When no one said anything, Jack said, "Okay," and surveyed the trains. As he did, a fourth one pulled in and came to a graceful stop. The boarding platform seemed to swell out and then an opening appeared and Rolf stepped out.

"Ollo!" Jack said, and the others turned to watch Rolf striding toward them, smiling as if they were all old friends. Rolf spoke quickly for a while, and then Daniel, then Rolf. "Daniel," Jack interrupted.

"He came back to invite us to visit his home. To show us around a little."

"Show round," Rolf said. "Little."

"Thank you," Jack told him. "He came back just for that?" Daniel nodded. Jack bit his lower lip and thought. "What say we take him up on his offer, Daniel? Carter? Teal'c?"

Carter was nodding and smiling; he could tell she approved. Teal'c nodded gravely. Rolf put his hand on Daniel's arm and said, "Daniel." Then he lightly touched Carter and said, "Carter," and did the same with Teal'c. When he touched Jack's arm, Jack felt a slight tingle; it reminded him of what Carter had told him she'd felt under the weggen. "Jack," Rolf told him, and he had to smile again.

"Rolfenputz . . ." he tried, but Rolf shook his head.

"Rolf."

"Thank you," he said again. "Daniel, tell him we'd like to see his home, learn more about this place."

The weggen to Rolf's place arrived about fifteen minutes later; Rolf and Daniel spent that time discussing the weggen's schedules, how people knew which weggen to take, and why the transmit mall was so isolated, while Carter and Teal'c inspected the vehicles. Carter even rolled underneath one, staring up at it as if the undersides could tell her something vital. Jack crouched next to her and peered up, but the bottom was as smooth as the sides appeared to be.

"Magic," he said to her, and she smiled ruefully.

"It might as well be. Like the Tollan's ion canons, they're too far ahead of us to be reverse engineered. Or so it seems right now." He knew she'd be on it like white on rice, till some other project captured her considerable attention.

Behind them, he heard Daniel's and Rolf's voices mingling as they spoke with other travelers. He turned his head to find Rolf smiling at him, and then Daniel looking over Rolf's shoulder at him. He smiled at them both, rose from the grass, dusting his hands, and walked over. "What've you discovered, Daniel?"

"Well, if I understand correctly, the technology of the weggen is old, old enough to have changed settlement patterns. So there are cities here, but no longer densely populated, because people have spread out. The stargate was known for a long time, long before weggen, and people have always traveled between worlds using it, so a city built up here."

Jack looked around them, and the hummocks of tall grass stirring green and gold-green in the slight wind, and a few oddly-shaped trees, but no signs of a city. "What happened to it?"

"I gather it fell into disrepair and became dangerous, so it was dismantled. The material was used all over, lots of it going through the stargate, for building materials on other worlds. The timing of the weggen is such that there's always at least one here and usually more."

"Why does Rolf travel?"

"I think he's a government official of some kind. He might even work for the weggen company. I'm not sure. It's too different from earth organizations. It might even be that everything is government here. A true democracy."

"Or a true bureaucracy." Daniel smiled at him. Rolf said something, and pointed at a weggen. "I take it it's time to go?"

"Yes, yes. Sam, Teal'c? Rolf says we need to go now."

Carter rolled out from under the weggen, Teal'c helping her to her feet. She was saying, "I just can't see anything that's keeping them floating. I didn't feel anything, either, when I was under there, just a weird tingle."

They stepped aboard the weggen and Jack looked around him curiously. It wasn't like a train or bus on earth, with seats neatly regimented in rows. Rather, seating areas were scattered irregularly, some intimate for two, some for larger groups, and some isolated seats. The seats themselves were different, too, and not permanently stuck into the flooring, but easily movable with a half-turn of a knob. There were rooms, too; Rolf showed them what looked to Jack like a private office, and something else he was sure was a bathroom. "Leg," Rolf said, or something like it; Jack wondered if that was his language for toilet. He glanced at Daniel, who shrugged.

They'd settled themselves, their packs at their feet, when the weggen began to move. There was no sudden jerk, not even a sense of movement, and certainly no engine noise or stink. But the boarding platform drew back and the opening silently closed and became a large window, and then the landscape began to roll backwards, faster and faster, until Jack couldn't imagine how quickly they were moving. He stood and walked to the new window, tapping it suspiciously, and then settled there, to watch this new world revealed.

Not that there was much to see. Long stretches of tall grasses barely moving. The occasional tree or, more rarely, cluster of trees. He saw those often contained what he thought were houses, but they were of all kinds, too. He became convinced that lumps in the soil, covered by grasses, were the roofs of houses when the train passed near one and he realized there were windows. He wondered how much of this world was underground, and why.

"Rolf says many homes are underground, to conserve energy and the beauty of the landscape," Daniel called out. Jack looked back at his team. Daniel had pulled out a thermos and was offering Rolf coffee, while Carter was showing him a selection of protein bars. Even Teal'c looked comfortable, staring out the windows, his mouth slightly less turned down than usual. Well, it was a pretty world, if a little boring.

Jack strolled back and sat next to Daniel, who scooted over and smiled at him. "Coffee?" He nodded, and Daniel handed him the thermos lid nearly full. "We'll have to share the cup."

Jack took a deep sip and handed it back. "I don't mind if you don't." Daniel smiled again, and he tried to relax. Rolf was watching them both, a small frown on his face, but one of interest, Jack thought. "So how come he looks human? And how come you can understand the language?"

Daniel shook his head. "I've been asking him about their creation myths, about how they got to this planet. Rolf says that their oral history speaks of many planets of origin. That everyone here is a descendent of someone who migrated here.

"And no, no word of the Goa'uld, or gods with glowing eyes, or humans taken as slaves or hosts."

"Goa'uld," Rolf said, and leaned forward, then said something else.

"He wants to know if they should fear them."

"Well, I sure as shit do."

"But the cartouche on Abydos didn't have this address. This came from the Ancients."

Jack nodded, thought for a minute, and then said, "Go ahead and try to explain that to him. See what kind of reaction you get. Teal'c, Carter?" Both looked at him. "Sense anything you shouldn't?"

"I have not, O'Neill."

"No, sir. No Goa'uld presence or naquadah that I've sensed."

Daniel turned back to him. "He said he's never heard of any kind of overlord. That the planets he's familiar with are independent of each other, except they rely on tourism, or at least what sounds like tourism. Maybe trying to tempt people to move there? But no one is forced."

"He tellin' the truth?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "I'm not a lie detector, Jack. I don't know. And he's from a different culture, so the social cues of lying that I am familiar with might be not present. But I haven't seen anything to suggest it." Jack patted Daniel's back, but fell silent again, just taking the cup for another sip of coffee and then slipping it back into Daniel's hand. Rolf watched carefully and then sipped his own coffee, wrinkling his nose.

Jack studied Rolf, sitting across from Daniel and next to Teal'c. He was as tall as Jack, so a little taller than Daniel, and thin but not frail. His skin was as pale as Daniel's, too, now that Daniel no longer lived in the desert and spent most of his time beneath a mountain. Without being rude, Jack couldn't be sure, but he thought there was a thin sprinkling of freckles across Rolf's long narrow nose. His eyes were a very light brown, so light that Jack found the color a bit disconcerting. But he was human in form, and apparently his language was earth-based.

Jack looked around the weggen again, at the other passengers. The people they'd seen so far wore all kinds of clothes. Some wore robes, some wore dresses, some wore trousers, some wore robes or dresses over trousers, some wore sarongs or pareos, some wore Greek-looking tunics . . . The fabrics varied, too, in weight and texture and color. Rolf wore loose trousers with a long tunic over them, and woven sandals. He also had several small earrings glinting from his left ear, and his thinning reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a sloppy braid.

He carried a notebook or something, thin, with writing on it Jack didn't recognize. He pointed at it. "What is that?"

Rolf offered it to him, so he cautiously took it. It was soft to the touch, about a half-inch thick, about the size of A4 paper. He looked at Daniel.

"I think it's their equivalent of a briefcase, combined with a computer. He looked up the times the weggen will leave from where we going, so we can get back in time to report in."

Jack handed it back to Rolf and said, "Thank you." Rolf smiled and very clearly said, "Welcome." Jack felt his eyebrows shoot up.

"He picks up language quickly," Daniel said. "I've noticed that." Jack looked at Daniel and saw how happy he was at that moment. He smiled at Daniel and patted his back.

The train began to slow, not that Jack could feel any sensation, but the landscape moved slower past the windows. Without a bump or even vibration, it drew to a halt and again the window solidified and then opened into a door just as the boarding platform extruded in a graceful arc. "Home," Rolf said, and they followed him off the weggen.

They found themselves at another transmit mall, much like the one near the stargate. Three weggen were there, one just pulling out, although not as many people were milling about. Rolf said something to Daniel, who explained, "Some of the people change weggen here, to get where they want to go."

"Are there bodies of water on this planet?" Carter asked. "Like a Great Lake, or an ocean? And can the weggen cross them?"

Turns out there were, and yes, weggen could cross water as easily as land. They also climbed mountains. Only forests and jungles gave them problems, because no one would cut down the trees, so the weggen had to make long detours around them, to preserve them. Although Jack was no longer the fan of trees he'd once been, he appreciated the sensitivity of these people.

Rolf led the way, and they walked with few others, exchanging "ollos" as they passed some or were overtaken by others. There was a path, Jack noticed, that seemed to open before them, the long grass shifting out of their way. He pointed it out to Carter, who nodded. "I think the grasses are engineered to withstand a lot of traffic," she speculated. "They move back, so they aren't beaten down."

"No naquadah powering them?"

"No, sir. That was my first thought, too." Jack nodded, wondering if these were the grasses that Emmett wanted samples of.

For a while, the five of them walked alone. A small brook bubbled up through the grasses, sparkling in the sun and making Jack wish for a fly rod. It was very peaceful. "Here," Rolf said, and they stood before a grass-covered mound. Jack saw windows glinting from behind the grass. As they watched, much like the door on the weggen, an opening grew in the soil, and the grass before them veed aside. Rolf led them in, still talking to Daniel.

"He says he lives alone now. That his partner left him, uh, two somethings ago. Years, maybe? I'm not sure. Anyway, most people live in families or with friends, in small groups, but." He stopped and asked Rolf something. "I'm not sure I understand. But I think, uh," and Jack saw he was blushing a little, "that maybe his heart was broken and he doesn't want to live with anyone for a while."

"Divorced, hunh," Jack said in sympathy, looking around.

The walls were rounded, and he thought for a minute of hobbit holes, except this was light filled and sparsely furnished. There were three hallways leading off from this front room, but it looked to Jack as if this was where Rolf spent much of his time. There were more pads like the one he carried lying heaped on a low table that sat next to and slightly in front of what might be a bed or a sofa. He suspected it was both. There were plants growing right from the floor and out of the walls, but not too many, not like a fern bar from the seventies.

Rolf let them look for a moment, and then led them into what Jack thought might be a kitchen. There were no cabinets but shelves and cubbyholes that grew out of or into the walls, and a taller table pushed up against a window that looked out onto the rolling hills of grasses. "Tea?" he said.

"Yes, please," Daniel answered in English, then looked at Jack, who nodded slowly.

"He does learn English fast," was all he said, and didn't listen when Daniel explained how the word tea was from an ancient Chinese word, t'e, and the same in many languages throughout earth. Okay, so he did listen a little.

The tea was soft in his mouth, he thought, sipping its comforting warmth. That was the only word for it: soft. He liked it very much, and saw the others did, too. Rolf led them back into the main room, carrying the delicate cups he'd given them for their tea. Jack stroked the sides of his; it was shaped like a flower. Sara would have loved it, and he bet Daniel did, too. But Daniel was speaking to Rolf, with lots of ums and uhs and ahs, obviously trying to find the right words, while Rolf nodded.

"Daniel."

"Yes, Jack?"

"I think it's time to focus on our mission's goals."

"Ah, yes. Of course. Uh, ah, Hrolfzenpurnatzin." Jack couldn't believe how easily Daniel wrapped his tongue around that name. And what kind of people had names that long? Must have a lot of free time. He tried to listen in while Daniel spoke; he heard "Goa'uld" several times, and something that sounded like "technology." Carter was staring at them as if she could understand, while Teal'c stared at his full tea cup. Jack noticed that his was shaped like cupped hands.

At last, Daniel said, "Hrolfzenpurnatzin says the, I don't know, engineers, maybe? The designers of the weggen? Can be reached on some network. Maybe email? I don't understand enough of the technical vocabulary. But apparently the weggen are on all the worlds he knows, so it might be possible."

"Weapons?"

"Jack, I'm trying. As I said, I just don't have the vocabulary."

"Well, how can you get it?"

Daniel spoke again to Rolf, a little anxiously. Jack could tell Daniel was feeling the pressure of learning a new language quickly; SGC pushed his talents too far and then always demanded more, and more quickly. Personally, he thought Daniel was the smartest person in the world and should cut himself some slack. Except, of course, when he should be following Jack's orders. Daniel woke him from his reverie when he said, "Hrolfzenpurnatzin has invited us back. There is the equivalent of a university we can visit, get language training. There is a lingua franca; I think it's the Latinate one we heard over the first MALP's transmission. If I learn that, I can function on any of the worlds."

Jack nodded, pleased. He'd like to come back to this mild, grassy world. "We'll talk to Hammond," was all he said. "Let's get back."

"Jack, we have forty-eight hours!"

"Sir, there's so much more to see."

He looked at Teal'c, who nodded and said, "I believe there is no reason to return early, O'Neill. There is much we can learn here."

He sighed. "Okay. I'm gonna walk the perimeter. Check things out. Teal'c, you're with me. Carter, stay with Daniel."

"Thank you, Jack." He nodded, looking down quickly so as not to reveal his pleasure at Daniel's words.

He breathed easier outside. He liked this Rolf guy all right, but there was always a buzz of some weird energy near him. It reminded him again of what Carter had described when she'd been under the train. Weggen. He was an intense guy, was all. Daniel-like, in that regard.

But outside the buzz diminished and he looked around him with pleasure, following the melodic bubbling until he and Teal'c stood at the edge of the brook, barely visible beneath the leaning grasses. "You wish for your fishing pole," Teal'c announced, and Jack knew he was relieved it wasn't part of standard equipment.

"Hell, yeah." He couldn't resist adding, "Don't you?"

Teal'c glanced at him and indicated his amusement with a barely perceptible lift of one side of his mouth. "This is a most pleasant world."

"Yeah, at least this part of it. Wonder what this university will be like?"

"I do not know. Should we not walk the perimeter?"

"Yeah." Jack made a lazy gesture with his hand: move out. So they did. The grass led the way, leaning back to reveal the path for them, almost as if reading Jack's mind. They walked a wide circle, about a hundred meters in diameter, with Rolf's home at the center, but saw very little. They decided a hummock was another home, and saw a covey of little brown birdish animals peeking up at them from under a low fuzzy tree. The sky was a deep, smog-less blue, a color Jack hadn't seen since his childhood, and the air was filled with the scent of the grasses.

They walked in near silence, pointing out the moving grasses, the bird-like creatures, the rolling hills extending to the horizon, the angle of the sun as it sank, the changing light as evening came on. Quiet. Nice. Jack felt very relaxed, and Teal'c had a pleased look on his face, too, and carried his staff weapon loosely. Relaxed.

They were heading back to the open front entrance of Rolf's home when Daniel, Rolf, and Carter walked out, blinking in the evening sun. "Rolf says we can spend the night here, with him, or he'll take us into a, a center nearby, where there's a hostel. Hotel. I'm not sure which."

"Can we camp here?"

Daniel's eyebrows raised, but he obediently asked Rolf, who told Jack, "Okay."

Okay. Jack had to smile. Funny how quickly that word got accepted by others. "Okay," he said. "We camp."

Daniel said something else to Rolf, who shook his head vigorously. "Rolf would like to share his evening meal with us, though."

"Okay," Jack said again, and everybody smiled. Not looking forward to MREs himself.

Rolf made them what Jack thought of as a kind of spring roll -- little packets of crunchy vegetables wrapped in a silky, slightly gummy wonton or tortilla, with bowls of dipping sauces. Very very good, Jack thought, dunking one into a clear liquid that tasted slightly spicy and sweet at the same time. They drank more tea, differently flavored from the one they'd had earlier, but Jack longed for beer. A Waoh amber ale, he thought, would go well with the spring rolls.

But no beer tonight. Not while he was off-world. But when he got home. He looked at Daniel, gracefully eating a spring roll without dripping on his BDUs. It occurred to Jack that he'd like to invite Daniel over for beer and spring rolls; instantly, the thought shocked him. He saw Rolf look up at him, and smile, and then look at Daniel, and Jack wondered what expression was on his face that had caught Rolf's attention. Then he started eating again.

Ever the diplomat, Daniel broke out a stash of very good chocolate, Italian baci from Perugia. The ones Catherine had brought him back from her and Ernest's extremely belated honeymoon, Jack realized as he unwrapped one carefully and tried to read the message inside. "What's it say?" Daniel asked.

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Love always finds a way."

"There are messages inside?" Carter asked through a mouthful of chocolate and hazelnut, and picked up the wrapper. "Oh, my. This says 'Kisses are the language of love.' That's so sweet!"

"What does yours say, Teal'c?" Daniel asked, his face shining in the artificial light glowing from the walls.

"Kisses are bridges that can cross any river."

"What's that mean?" Jack asked, but when Daniel started to explicate, he said, "No, never mind. What's yours say?"

Daniel blushed from throat to forehead. "Uh. 'Kisses are souls speaking in unison.'"

Jack looked down at the remains of his dinner and wondered why Daniel had blushed. Rolf said something and he looked up to see him handing Daniel the wrapper to his baci. Daniel read it and said something in his language, and then looked at his teammates. "Rolf's says 'Kisses are our heart's eloquence.'" He handed the transparent slip of paper back to Rolf, who smoothed it carefully, smiling to himself. Then he looked at Jack again.

Jack was uncomfortable. Was this guy coming on to him? He couldn't figure it out. "Let's clean up, kids," he said brusquely. "We need to make plans for tomorrow and get to sleep. I'd like to get to this university place as early as we can, get things sorted out, and then back to SGC." There was a lot of bustling around then, and soon Rolf was walking them onto the grassland, showing them where to set up their tents. As usual, Carter and Teal'c paired up, and Daniel shared Jack's tent. He liked keeping an eye on Daniel, and felt a strong sense of responsibility toward him.

Jack was up early the next morning, washing his face in the sparkling creek, popping his back muscles. He'd had a restless night, but had finally fallen into a profound sleep early that morning. He was a little tired, but ready for the next step, and the trip to wherever they were going.

Teal'c was up and Carter getting up when he got back to the tents; Daniel, of course, was still sound asleep. As usual, Jack let him sleep in while they packed up, waking him only when they had to break down the last tent. "Ooooh," he moaned, and rolled onto his back, stretching and smacking his lips.

"Come on, Daniel," Carter teased him, and Jack smiled at their behavior. "Coffee. Cofffeeeee." Daniel started to laugh, and clambered out of the sleeping bag. Jack watched him pull on his trousers and scrub at his face.

"How'd you sleep?" Daniel asked, and Jack smiled.

"Fine. Nice."

"Yeah. Really nice. Wonder what tonight will be like? In the hostel or whatever."

Jack shrugged, and made a gesture to hurry Daniel along. He took the hint, and they had the tent down in a few minutes, and were fully packed up and walking to Rolf's now-open entrance in a few more. Rolf stood in the doorway, sipping tea from another flower-shaped cup; he gestured for them to come in and turned out to have a breakfast ready for them.

They took another weggen, Rolf accompanying them, into a small city. Town. Whatever, Jack wasn't sure. More low humpy underground structures, but some above ground ones here, too. Still rather hobbit-like in shape, molding themselves to the hills they were built on and in, with broad paved paths between them rather than the opening and closing grasses.

"Place got a name?" he asked Daniel, who conferred with Rolf and then turned back to Jack grinning.

"We just took a trip to Bountiful," he said, and Carter actually giggled. Teal'c looked puzzled.

"Women's movie. Lotsa crying," Jack explained succinctly, and Teal'c nodded. Jack wondered how Teal'c knew what a women's movie was, but decided not to inquire. "This where the school is?"

Rolf pointed to an above-ground building; a wall drew back as they approached and entered. There was the quiet hum of distant conversation, and Jack saw what must be a cafe to their right; on the left was a hallway leading down, and straight ahead was a garden, the light streaming toward them greenish-gold. Rolf led the way through nodding palm frondish things, ducking under the hanging plants.

In the center was a small group of people talking in an orderly fashion. A meeting; Jack guessed they looked the same on any world. The people didn't look too different from humans, same general size and shape, most with skin tones a deeper brown than Rolf's, though. "Ollo," Jack said brightly, and felt Daniel nudge him.

Rolf spoke to the group for a while, gesturing toward Daniel, and several people scooted back to make room for them. Jack sat awkwardly, crossing his legs; his teammates were much more comfortable, and he remembered that Carter studied yoga, Daniel meditated, and of course Teal'c practiced his kel-no-reem. Only he was uncomfortable.

Daniel spoke next, hesitantly, still searching for words, with Rolf helping out occasionally, and some of the people who'd been meeting adding to the discussion. Jack took the opportunity to look around more closely, and realized that there were small monitors, like little television screens, also set in this room. He wondered if this was distance learning, a televised conference or colloquium or something.

The discussion went on for a long time, long enough for Jack's legs to grow numb. He kept crossing and uncrossing them, wondering if it would be rude to get up and walk around the town. At last, Rolf took pity on him and gestured to him to follow, so he gratefully stood up, shaking out his tingling feet. He smiled at Daniel, who nodded at him, and left the three to it, following Rolf back outdoors. "Walk?" Rolf asked him, and he nodded happily.

"Yeah, walk. Thanks."

"Welcome."

Unfortunately, Jack wasn't up for much more conversation, so he just looked around at the buildings and people. They moved further into the town, and more people were out walking around. He saw another cafe, with tables right on the path so he had to step through them. There was a small open-aired market with fruit and vegetables out; Rolf stopped and bought two small greenish round things, rubbed them on his sleeve and handed one to Jack. Then he showed him how to open it at the seam and sip the custardy liquid inside. It was good. He nodded and smiled his thanks.

When they'd tossed the shells away, Rolf said, "You like?"

"Yes, thank you. Very good." Feeling like an idiot, Jack rubbed his stomach and said, "Mmm."

"Mmm," Rolf echoed, smiling at him. Jesus, he should never have left his linguist behind.

"You like Daniel," Rolf said, surprising him.

"Uh, yeah." Then, "I like all my team."

"Team. Yes. But Daniel. Like Daniel much."

He stared at Rolf, wondering what exactly he meant. What the hell. "Yes, I like Daniel very much," he said clearly, looking into Rolf's strangely pale eyes.

He nodded sagely. "Yes. Daniel likes you much. Very, uh." He bit his lip. "Very much," he said helplessly, and shrugged. Well, Jack thought. Was that new information? What exactly was Rolf saying? Suddenly, Rolf said, "Love. Kisses. Language of love."

Oh, shit. Those stupid baci Catherine had given Daniel. Jack frowned and shrugged. "Sorry. Don't understand you."

Rolf continued to stare at him. "Daniel loves you," he said slowly, enunciating very clearly. "He loves you. You love him. Kiss. *Must* kiss."

Jack felt his mouth fall open in surprise, and a strange shiver went through him. For an instant, he pictured himself kissing Daniel, passionately. Then he shook his head. "Sorry, Rolf. Doesn't work that way on earth." Rolf gave him another look, then shrugged as Jack had. "Don't understand," he said, and Jack gave it up for a lost cause.

"Uh, can we go back now?"

Rolf nodded and turned, and within less than twenty minutes he was back on the floor in the university or whatever.

Now, of course, he was acutely aware of Daniel's presence. He watched Daniel's mouth as he spoke the alien words, and noticed how he licked his lips. He glanced at Rolf to find him watching Jack, looking contented. Your work here is done, he thought sourly.

It took for-fucking-ever, but apparently Daniel now had enough language to work out some sort of exchange program. By the time Jack's legs were completely numb and his lower back screaming, Daniel was shaking everyone's hands, even patting the glowing monitors, and the five of them trundled back outside.

"That was *great*," Daniel said as soon as they were outside again. "I can't wait to get back and tell Hammond. They say all information is free, that the universe is open to all who will see."

"Daniel, you were *brilliant*," Carter told him. "Sir, you should've heard Daniel. I can't believe how quickly he picked up the language, and really, he did an excellent job. Excellent job," she repeated, this time to Daniel, who blushed.

"Thank you, Sam."

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson. These people have much to offer the Tau'ri."

"This sounds too good to be true," Jack said harshly, still aching from the long uncomfortable wait, and still smarting from Rolf's assessment of his relationship with Daniel.

"Well, it probably is," Daniel instantly agreed with him. "For one thing, I don't think they have much in the way of weapons technology."

"No, I don't either," Carter said thoughtfully, staring at the open cafe Rolf and Daniel had passed earlier. Jack realized he was hungry and stopped.

"Rolf?" He gestured to an open table, and Rolf nodded.

"Okay," he said, and spoke to the people at the nearby tables. After some conversation, Rolf looked back at Daniel and said, "Trade."

"They want our story," Daniel said, smiling. Jack shrugged. As long as he could eat something. That chunky soup looked good. Rolf led them into the building where they helped themselves, and then back to the table. Their neighbors let them eat in silence for a bit, and then Rolf said, "Nu?"

Daniel hastily swallowed the dumpling he was eating and wiped his mouth. "Okay. Yes. Story. What kind? Personal? Historical?"

"Life," Rolf said, and sat back with an air of pleased anticipation.

Jack didn't like this. So much of Daniel's life had been tragic, bizarrely tragic, and he didn't like for Daniel to feel obligated to share it with these strangers. "Tell him about the Asgard," he suggested, and Daniel looked gratefully at him. "They'll love Thor. Gotta love Thor." So Daniel told them a story, and the people at the tables around them, including one wheeled-person, listened intently.

"Replicators," Rolf said carefully, watching Daniel's mouth, and Jack felt a flash of irritation. Must kiss, he'd told Jack. *Must* kiss. What the hell did that mean?

When Daniel finished, there was an appreciative pause, and then a lot of conversation. Daniel smiled and looked at Jack. "Thank you," he said. "I couldn't think what to tell, but that was a real hit. They love Thor, too."

"Hey. Who doesn't." But Jack felt warmed by the praise.

"I don't know about you guys," Carter said, "but I'm really tired. Where are we spending the night?"

Rolf stood up and they followed, waving goodbye to the others. Jack smiled to himself when he saw the three-wheeled person bounce a little; he could get to like those guys. They wandered back to the outskirts of the town, not far from where the weggen had let them off, and then into another underground building. The hostel or hotel, Jack realized at once. Rolf led them to a wall and gestured to Jack. "Say 'offen.'"

Jack looked at Daniel, who nodded encouragingly, and said, "Offen." Rolf looked at Daniel, who repeated it. That time, the wall drew back revealing a small room. The two men stood there, peering in, while Rolf led Carter and Teal'c to another stretch of wall and had them say "offen" as well. Then he went around the curving wall a bit and said the magic word. Before he stepped inside, he smiled and said, "Good night."

"Good night, Rolf," Carter smiled at him, and stepped inside. From where Jack stood, he could see her looking around curiously.

"Come on, Jack," Daniel said. He'd already entered the room and dumped his pack on the floor. "Man, I'm so tired. All that talking, trying to think in two languages."

"Nice job, Danny," Jack finally told him, and was shamed by the pleasure that lit up Daniel's face.

You do love me, he realized. Jesus. What an idiot he was. He needed a goddamn alien to tell him.

"Look. A shower. Kind of. Bath. Water, anyway. And I think this is a toilet. I think. What do you think?"

Feeling a little shy, Jack stepped behind the screen where Daniel had wandered and peered at the object in question. "Yea-a-ah," he said slowly, and crouched in front of it. It opened up as he neared it, and when he pulled back, shut itself up and made a soft growling noise. "Yeah. Gotta be. Guess we have to sit to use it."

"That's okay. Could I, uh."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." The nice thing about the odd toilet, Jack discovered, was that was completely silent. No embarrassing moments wondering if your roommate could hear what you were doing. Either that or Daniel was just a lot quieter than Jack was when taking a crap.

Jack had found the bed when Daniel emerged, looking happier and slightly damp. Just one, and Jack wondered what Carter and Teal'c were going to do. Oh well. They were professionals. Of course, they hadn't had Rolf matchmaking a few hours earlier, so the significance of one bed might not matter to them the way it currently did to Jack. He wondered if it would have caused the same reaction he was experiencing this moment if they'd faced this one bed last night, before Rolf had taken him to task.

Well. No good came of second guessing yourself. He'd do the best he could and they'd manage just fine. Always had before. That was the thing about working with Daniel: one way or another, they managed.

"Do you mind if I lie down now?" Daniel asked shyly.

"Naw. Go ahead. I'm gonna try that shower-bath thingy. You figure it out?"

"Just step under it. It does everything. I left soap in there, too."

"Thanks." Sharing Daniel's soap. Jesus. Rolf really had fucked things up royally. But the shower felt wonderful, and he worked the kinks out of his legs and back with the hot water. Daniel was sound asleep when he finally stuck his head out from behind the screen, and Jack gratefully climbed in bed with him. At first it felt weird, but then he remembered the hundreds of times they'd slept side by side, and then he was asleep.

Jack woke first, as always, and lay in bed watching Daniel's face. When they'd stopped moving around the night before the room had darkened, and he assumed motion detectors would turn the lights on when he got up. But he liked it dark like this, just enough light to shine off Daniel's nose and forehead where he lay snuggled into the covers. Jack remembered every word Rolf had said to him. Daniel loves you. You love Daniel. Must kiss. *Must* kiss.

Well, who knows. He thought about kissing Daniel, just leaning over and waking him up with a slow, wet kiss. Thought about the surprise with which that kiss would be greeted, the pleased noises Daniel would make under his mouth. Jack knew now that Rolf was right. Daniel loved him. Daniel would, most likely, kiss him right back. And then where'd they be? Making love in a strange bed on a strange world. Which actually sounded pretty fine right now, but Jack forced himself to roll out of bed. Sure enough, the lights came up a bit, and he staggered behind the screen.

When he stepped back into the main room, Daniel was awake, with sleepy bedroom eyes looking up at him. "Hey," he murmured, and Jack felt his heart turn over.

"Morning, Danny," he said, and was embarrassed at the softness of his voice. "Rise and shine."

"Mmm," Daniel said, but sat up and stretched. Jack appreciatively watched his shoulder and chest muscles move, then looked away. This was absurd. Goddamn Rolf, anyway.

"Gonna find Carter and Teal'c. What's on the agenda for today?"

"Breakfast?" Daniel looked up at him from the messy bed and for a split second all Jack could think about was kissing him. *Must* kiss him. He shook himself and said, "You betcha. Hustle yer bustle."

He walked to the door and said, "Offen."

Carter and Teal'c were, as he'd expected, already up and about, and Rolf soon followed. "Leave pack here," he said, staring intently at Jack, who inexplicably felt his face redden.

"What's on for today? We need to report back," he said, and Rolf seemed to understand.

"Okay, back. Food? Then back. Re-port back." Okay. Seemed clear enough. Before any more embarrassing silence stretched on, Daniel emerged, happy to see Rolf and his teammates again. Other people were leaving the hostel now, so they followed them up and out into the morning, which was cloudy today, with the smell of rain in the air. Jack sniffed hard; a fresh scent, a little coppery. Pleasant.

They went back to the same cafe, and this time Teal'c volunteered a story, a creation myth from Chulak. Daniel translated happily while he ate, and a crowd grew around them, again including several wheeled people. Jack tried to get near one, but it bounced nervously and rolled away.

The visit back to the university was apparently to firm up the exchange agreement. They agreed to meet again soon, and Jack found himself wondering who would be sent here to learn the language, whether it would be Daniel. He was the logical choice, since he had a head start, but he was too valuable on SG-1 to spare for much time. Well, it was Hammond's decision, not Jack's, so he let that go for now.

Then they retrieved their packs and went back to the weggen; Rolf, it turned out, was staying in town, or maybe going on somewhere else. It was unclear to Jack, and he didn't much care. He was anxious to go home.

Which they did. They managed changing weggen just fine, even without Rolf's presence, and Jack discovered if he stood by the weggen door when it was closing, it would form into a Dutch-door, with the top half open to the air. He leaned out, letting the air rush into his face, and watched this rather boring landscape rush by with almost no sense of motion. In the distance, he saw another weggen heading off at a forty-five degree angle from the direction they were going. He leaned farther out and saw the stargate. "Nearly there, kids," he called over his shoulder, and heard them get their packs snapped on

At last they stepped onto the ramp in the gate room, and Jack felt his shoulders relax for the first time since they'd left. He let Daniel and Carter rush to Hammond to give him the news before herding them to the infirmary for their after-excursion examinations.

And all that day, all he could think about was Daniel sitting up in bed, smiling sleepily at him.

SG-1 was stood down for a week, to let them prepare their reports. Jack used this time to work out in the gym, and even started a stretching program under the watchful eye of Carter's yoga instructor. He ached like hell, but maybe the next time he had to crouch for hours during sensitive off-world negotiations, he wouldn't get a cramp for a week.

Then one day, the klaxons sounded and the airmen scrambled to the gate room. Incoming off-world traveler. Not scheduled. Jack trotted behind them, arriving in time to hear Sergeant Davis say, "The GDO is SG-1's, General."

Hammond looked over his shoulder. "Can you explain this?"

"No, sir." He stared at the iris. "Ah, General. Can I suggest you open it?"

Hammond stared at him, then glanced down at the Marines and airmen at the ready. He nodded at Davis. "Open the iris."

There was the terrifying whoosh of the wormhole engaging and then the lovely glimmer of the event horizon. For a moment, nothing happened, and then to Jack's complete amazement, Rolf stepped through.

He stood at the top of the ramp and surveyed the room, then raised his eyes and saw Jack. "Jack!" he called out happily, and started down the ramp, apparently unaware of the significance of all the weapons currently pointed directly at him.

"Stand down," Jack said over Davis' shoulder into the microphone, and then jogged downstairs to meet Rolf, feeling that buzz again as he approached him. "What the hell are you doing here? And how did you know the GDO?"

Rolf obviously didn't understand all he said, but fortunately Daniel burst into the room. "Rolf! How did you get here?"

"Daniel! Hi! Okay!" They spoke in Rolf's language a bit, and Daniel looked at Jack, amazed. General Hammond had followed him down, too, and stood next to Jack.

"Um. Jack, Rolf learned the GDO from you. From your mind."

Jack understood Daniel's words but not their meaning. "From my mind?"

"Yes. Apparently his people are mildly telepathic, usually among their family. But you and he -- I don't know how to translate it. Clicked, I guess. Anyway, he can kind of hear you. And me, a little, too." He thought for a moment. "This must be why he picks up our language so quickly. He's getting it directly from Jack and me."

He loves you, and you love him, Jack thought wildly, and stared at Rolf. Please, he thought as loudly as he could. Don't say anything about kissing Daniel.

Rolf smiled at him. "GDO," he said, and pointed to Jack.

"We have a security breach, Colonel," the general said. "Please invite our visitor up to the briefing room." Hammond looked up to where Davis watched them, his mouth open in surprise. "Have Major Carter and Teal'c paged, Sergeant."

By the time they were seated in the briefing room, and Rolf had been offered coffee, and Carter and Teal'c had arrived somewhat breathlessly, Daniel had explained that it wasn't a true telepathy. Only very strong feelings were transmitted. But apparently there had been a moment when Jack had really, really wanted to go home, and the GDO series of numbers was, for want of a better word, visible to Rolf.

"Sorry," Rolf said to the general, and he did truly look apologetic. "Friends. Not tell." He said more to Daniel, but Jack was already relaxing. Only Rolf could hear Jack, and they routinely changed the GDO. This shouldn't be a problem.

The general, too, was relaxing, although he still didn't look happy. Carter was fascinated, and had called Doctor Frasier in; they were swamping Daniel with questions for Rolf. Jack pushed back a bit from the table and observed the hubbub with pleasure, if only because it got Rolf's attention diverted from him.

But now that he was here, and indirectly because of Jack, he felt responsible. So when Rolf had been cleared, and the notion of secrecy and security explained to him as best as Daniel could, Jack suggested they adjourn to the commissary. Hammond declined, as Jack had known he would, but the others trooped along.

After a couple hours, though, Jack could tell Rolf wanted to speak to him alone. He wondered if he was receptive to Rolf's thoughts, the way Rolf said he was receptive to Jack's, but then decided Rolf was making it pretty clear. At last, he neatly extracted Rolf from the crowd and took him back to his office. Daniel followed them with his eyes, and Jack felt like a complete shit.

"Okay," he said when they were finally alone. "Why'd you come through the gate?"

"I know you," Rolf said carefully, and Jack had the feeling he'd rehearsed these words. "You." He looked earnestly at Jack, willing him to understand. "Daniel loves you. You must tell him. He will not tell you." Jack stared at him, wondering what to say. "*Tell* him. Kiss him. Don't wait."

Jack shook his head. "Look, Rolf. I can't. Not here. Uh, there are rules against it. Rules?"

Rolf looked disgusted. "No rules for Jack. Don't hurt Daniel anymore."

Jesus God. "Okay, that's enough. My love life, Daniel's love life, is not open for casual conversation." He didn't know if Rolf understood him or not, so he tried to think this at him. "No. I cannot do this." Rolf bounced a little in the chair, reminding Jack of the wheeled-people.

"Must. What if die? Daniel die, Jack die?"

Shit. "I said that's enough. Come on. Daniel and Carter wanna talk to you, and frankly, I don't."

Rolf stood up, obviously irritated with Jack. "Love him, Jack," he said, but then let the subject lie as he walked silently to Daniel's office. Carter and Frasier were also there, so Jack left Rolf in their more than capable hands.

He went home. Back to his empty house. He showered and lay down, trying to figure out how he really felt. Rolf was supposedly telepathic, and he had to assume it was true, because he sure as hell hadn't told him the GDO. And Rolf said Daniel loved him but would never make the first move. That Jack must.

Shit. Jack hated this. He didn't want to know what Daniel felt. He didn't even want to know what he felt. The idea of speaking to Daniel about this was impossible; the idea of acting on Rolf's suggestions inconceivable.

But he also remembered all the nights they'd shared a tent, or lay side by side under an alien sky, or shared that bed in the hostel on Rolf's world. And yeah, it had felt pretty good. Comfortable. It had been a long time since Jack had shared his bed with anyone but the most casual partner, and never with another man. At least in that sense.

But kissing Daniel. Now that he knew he could do. He could see himself doing it as if watching a video. He was utterly certain Daniel would kiss him back, too.

Goddammit. Rolf was right. Daniel loved him and would never, ever do anything about it. And it was unfair for Rolf to give this information to Jack but not to Daniel. To leave him ignorant of how Jack felt about him, and ignorant that Jack knew how he felt about Jack.

Jack knew he had a thing about fairness. It was childish and absurd, especially for a soldier, because nothing was fair in war. But he felt obligated to even the playing field with Daniel, and that meant telling him what Rolf had said.

Oh, fuck.

He called in the next day and spoke to the general about taking a few days off. Since SG-1 was still on stand down, the general was fine with it. Rolf had left shortly after Jack had left the base; the GDO was changed; the scientists and geeks were thrilled. La di da.

So Jack headed out of Colorado Springs and up into the Rockies, no destination in mind, really, just driving, and happy to see the Springs disappear from his rearview mirror. He didn't even take a fishing pole, just a change of clothing and a couple hundred dollars from an ATM.

But three days away didn't help. He found himself tormented by dreams, and nightmares, of Daniel, of the events they'd lived through, and of events he didn't know whether he wanted or not. Kiss Daniel, Rolf had said, and had apparently condemned Jack to think of nothing else.

He returned nearly as agitated as when he'd left, but resolved that he needed to speak with Daniel. Not on base, of course not, but he went straight to Daniel's office to make arrangements to speak with him. Not dinner; that was too weird for this conversation. Just, just tell him. I have to talk to you about Rolf. Meet me at my house tonight. I'll have beer or coffee, whatever you want.

But Daniel wasn't in his office, he was meeting with his team of linguists. They'd made enormous progress on the language Rolf spoke, and were working on the lingua franca. He glanced up and smiled at Jack, but his attention was immediately drawn back to the discussion. Jack watched them from the door for a while, full of pride yet again for Daniel, as if he, Jack, were in any way responsible for his brilliance and hard work, and then pushed off. Disappointing, yeah, but also a relief.

He had lots of mail, voicemail, and email to catch up with, and the general had lunch with him in his office so they could discuss personnel issues, and he finished up a couple reports that had been languishing in his inbox, and finally, finally, it was late afternoon. He stopped by the conference room the linguists had been using to find them still hard at work, the smell of burnt coffee in the air, but this time, Daniel excused himself and met Jack outside in the corridor.

"Welcome back."

"Nice to be back." Jack felt ridiculously shy. He looked at Daniel's tired, curious face, a little concerned for Jack, and realized he couldn't do this. He couldn't say those rehearsed words to him. Daniel would be embarrassed, Jack would be embarrassed, they'd be weird around each other, and their relationship or whatever they had would be fucked, at least for a while.

Shit.

"Um. What can I do for you?"

Jack remembered watching Daniel dip the spring rolls Rolf had fed them into the spicy sauces. "I'm, uh, hungry for Vietnamese food. Know any good places?"

"Well, I've heard good things about a new place. The Green Turtle. Not too far from where I live."

"Green Turtle. Wanna go?"

Daniel looked a little surprised at the invitation, which in turn surprised Jack. They had meals together. Off-world, mostly, or in the commissary, but they met off base sometimes. Was Daniel reacting to Jack? Was Jack being weird? Goddamn Rolf, anyway.

"Yeah. Uh, not now, I'm kinda busy --"

"No, no. That's cool. Tonight?"

"Yeah. Yeah. What time?"

"Seven?"

"Sure. Come to my place and we'll walk."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good."

"Maybe play some chess afterwards."

Jack thought his throat would seize up and his heart would stop. Go back to Daniel's place? "Uh. Got a real early meeting," he lied.

"Okay. Another time. Just dinner, then. Feed your cravings."

"Yeah. Uh. Thanks, Daniel."

"See you tonight."

"Yeah. Tonight. Seven."

They stared at each other for a minute, then Jack said, "See ya," and shoved his hands in his pockets before walking off, feeling like an idiot. "Bye," he heard Daniel say, and nodded, but couldn't think of a single thing to say.

I am an idiot, he thought again, and hurried back to his own office, where he proceeded to curse Rolf, telepathy, and the entire planet.

Seven eventually came, and Jack stood outside Daniel's apartment door, trying to be his usual self, except he couldn't remember who that person was. Rolf had irrevocably changed him, he realized again, and wondered how often that realization was going to bash him in the head until he got used to it. Then Daniel answered the door, still damp from his shower, and again, Jack couldn't think of a single word to say. Fortunately, Daniel was full of news about the progress the linguists were making.

Over dinner, when they were again dipping spring rolls into spicy sauce, Jack watched Daniel watch him. He realized Rolf was right. Daniel did love him, had loved him for a long time. Every glance was imbued with significance that had been invisible to Jack.

Jack really hated it.

But he was Daniel's friend. One of Daniel's few friends, probably his closest friend, and he was not gonna let this get in the way of their friendship. He refused to. So they ate dinner, and then Jack walked Daniel home, feeling ridiculously as though he were walking his date home, and as they said goodbye, standing on the street outside Daniel's apartment building, Jack heard again Rolf insisting, "Kiss him. *Must* kiss." He stared at Daniel's lips before realizing what he was doing, and then lightly punched him in the arm.

"G'night, Daniel. Thanks for a nice evening."

"It was nice. Good food."

"Yeah. We'll go back."

Daniel smiled at him, and Jack knew he had to leave that minute. That very minute. "Night," he said again, and strode off to his truck, refusing to look back.

So this is my life now, he thought as he drove home. His back ached a little, from all the sitting at his desk he'd done lately. His knees always ached a little; he took Motrin that night, to help. As he did every night, he looked at the picture of Charlie by his bed, the one in which he was wearing a baseball cap and holding a bat, smiling toothlessly at Jack's camera. And for the first time in a while, he opened a little box in his underwear drawer and pulled out his wedding ring. Heavy gold, a little chilly, it sat firmly in his hand.

All these pains he bore. And he bore them willingly. His bodily aches and pains he'd come by honestly, serving his country for many years. His psychological aches were the constant reminders of the loved ones he'd lost, and lost through his own fault. He would never give them up.

And now he would bear another pain: the pain of Daniel's love, and of loving Daniel. Because he couldn't act on it. He was career military and knew full well what acting on it could mean for himself. More than that, what it could mean for Daniel. He'd hurt Daniel. He already had, and would do so again. He'd hurt Charlie, he'd hurt Sara, and he'd hurt Daniel. But he could try to protect Daniel. He had an opportunity to protect him that he'd never had, or never recognized that he'd had, with Charlie and Sara. He'd take care of this gift.

He went back into the living room and found a picture of Daniel and him, taken by Cassandra at some picnic. Jack had his arm slung around Daniel's shoulders and they were both beaming at Cassandra. They looked like friends. They looked good together. He tapped his finger against the picture, sighing, and then carried it into the bedroom with him and set it next to the picture of Charlie. His two boys.

He stepped back and looked at them for a minute more. Charlie, gone so many years. He'd be a young man now. Jack would've been proud for Charlie to know Daniel; Daniel would have been a good influence on him. And Charlie would have been a good influence on Daniel. Teaching him about music and baseball and girls. Stuff Daniel never got to do when he was a kid.

He adjusted the pictures again, then closed his eyes at the pain. Motrin would never help this. But he knew, after Charlie's death and Sara's divorce, that time would. Time would make it bearable. And that's all it had to be: bearable. Daniel had helped before, when Charlie's death was killing Jack, and Daniel would help again.

He took a shower and went to bed.

To Daniel's vociferous disappointment, SG-9 was selected to return to Rolf's planet, along with Sue Gereighty. He, in fact, had recommended her, for her first trip through the stargate. She'd made impressive progress with both the Germanic and Latinate languages, and he knew she'd pick up the lingua franca equally well. But to Jack, he complained frequently, enough Jack threatened to toss him through the stargate before the wormhole opened.

"We're a field unit," Jack told him yet again.

"I know. I *know* that. And I want to be part of SG-1. I know the work we do is important. It's just . . ." and Daniel's voice trailed off. Jack stared at him staring into space, longing etched on his face. At last he said, "We should send Sue with SG-11, too, if the negotiations are successful and they let us trade for technology."

"Daniel."

"I know, Jack."

He still wouldn't look at Jack, who slapped him lightly on the back, once again not knowing what to say to his friend.

They went on other missions. They wrote reports about these missions. They argued about the missions and about the reports. They had dinner occasionally, played chess periodically. Jack tried to take Teal'c fishing again, but he refused. Tried to take Carter, but she refused. Tried to ask Daniel, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he bought him a box of baci, the chocolate he'd shared with SG-1 and Rolf. "Stick it in your backpack," he told Daniel. "It might come in handy again."

"Uh. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Two days after Jack gave Daniel the baci, they stepped out onto yet another world. "Trees," Jack pointed out. His team ignored him.

"Sir." Carter nodded behind them; a small village, not too far from the stargate. Not usually a good thing, when people lived near the stargate, but there were exceptions. Jack could hope. They waited a bit and, sure enough, they were noticed. Daniel stood on the platform to the stargate, peering through his monocular at the people gathering in the center of the village.

"I think the Goa'uld visit here," he said at last, twisting to face Jack, his face sad with the implications. "Harvesting."

"I hate that term," Jack said. He checked his P90 and glanced around at the others; even Daniel carried the sub-machine gun, and could use it as well as Carter. SG-1 had been through this meet-n-greet routine so often, Jack could do it in his sleep, but he was never tempted to. No. They'd done it enough that he knew he couldn't anticipate what would happen next.

So he stood next to Daniel. Carter stood slightly ahead of them, and Teal'c to their rear. They were as ready as they could be.

Eventually, a small delegation split off and headed up the hill toward them. Jack counted five: three men and two women. They were slight in build, and wore rustic clothing. None of them was smiling.

They stopped about ten yards from SG-1, and stared at them in silence. They didn't carry any weapons that Jack could see, but he didn't discount others holding weapons on them, or weapons that were new to him. He kept his arm around the P90 and glanced behind and to the side of their visitors.

At last, one of the men stepped forward a bit and said loudly, "In the name of what god do you visit?"

"Daniel, " Jack murmured, and Daniel took a step forward as well.

"In the name of no god. We are peaceful explorers, come to learn your ways."

The first speaker raised his head haughtily. "To steal our ways, perhaps."

"No," Daniel said firmly but politely. "Never to steal. To learn, perhaps to trade, but not to steal."

There was a lengthy silence, and at last, the speaker said, "We shall see. Who are you?"

"I'm Daniel. This is Jack, Sam, and Teal'c. We come in peace."

"I am Ocker. This is Teya, Nisb, Eschett, and Lamml." He looked sharply at Daniel. "I am the Maker of this settlement. Are you these people's Maker?"

Daniel glanced over his shoulder at Jack, who shrugged. When Daniel didn't turn back, he nodded.

"Yes," Daniel said to Ocker. "I am the Maker of my people."

Ocker smiled, and sent shivers down Jack's spine. "Good. I have not been challenged in many months. I look forward to destroying you."

"Whoa." Jack stepped next to Daniel. "Not gonna happen. We're not here to destroy or to be destroyed. Daniel is our spokesman, an educated and articulate man."

"As I am," Ocker said proudly. "Makers must meet; that is the way. Tonight, at the fire."

"Um, Ocker. My people have different customs than yours. Our Makers do not fight. Would you explain a little more about this challenge?"

Ocker stared at them in disbelief; the others murmured behind him.

"No challenges are issued with your people? You truly have fallen away. My settlement, Ayastd, will teach you how civilized people behave."

"Yes, please, we'd like that. What constitutes a challenge?"

Ocker's eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. "Why, you must speak with the voice of the god. Make the words that will move our people to action. To love."

"What weapons must I use?" Jack stepped closer to Daniel when he mentioned weapons.

"Only your words, Maker. What else?"

Words? Jack looked at Daniel, who looked pretty surprised himself. "Very well. By the fire."

"Daniel," Jack said warningly, but Daniel held up his hand.

"Not now, Jack," he murmured, and Jack ground his teeth in frustration.

Ocker nodded, and the others followed him down the hill. People scurried off in all directions, probably to get ready for tonight's challenge.

"Daniel, I refuse to let you get yourself killed."

"Thank you, Jack. I'm actually counting on that."

Cute answer, but not the answer Jack was looking for. He following Daniel down the hill, watching the village closely. Ayastd, Ocker had said it was called. Muddy streets, shabby wooden buildings, people in rough-knit clothes. Ocker was decked out in bracelets and necklaces, his curly hair longer than Daniel's had been when Jack first met him, and wild in the humidity. Jack sighed, and wondered how long till evening.

They were welcomed cordially enough into the village. Daniel immediately began talking to people, asking them how they made their living, did they farm, what did they farm, where did you get such a pretty necklace. Jack followed closely, eavesdropping, while Teal'c and Sam did some preliminary scouting for naquadah, the only reason they were on this stinkpot planet. Yadda, yadda, how's the weather here, what's the season, when were you born, god, how could Daniel bear it? Yet his fascination drew people to him, drew Jack to him. Jack shook his head and stayed close.

People were gathering in the center of the village, so Daniel migrated in that direction, too. They were building a bonfire, Jack thought, ferrying in loads of wood and arranging it carefully. This must be where the challenge would take place. Ocker saw them and strolled over, enormously confident. Jack noticed one of his bracelets.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing toward it. "It looks like . . . "

Ocker proudly held out his wrist for Jack to observe. "Oh my god," he heard Daniel whisper.

"Are those babies' teeth?"

Ocker beamed. "Yes. A reward from Veript, two villages over. Because I speak so well. And this one," he fingered one made with twine and small stones, "is from Yayd, over two days walk from here."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Congratulations."

Ocker pulled his wrist to his eyes so he could better appreciate them. Jack wondered if he were as nearsighted as Daniel. "Yes. I am proud of them. I worked hard to get them." One of the people who'd been with Ocker when he'd challenged Daniel walked up to them. "Lamml. You are well?"

"Yes, very. You are well?"

"Ah, never better. Never."

"Good. I am to light the fire tonight, and then the challenge will begin."

Ocker nodded graciously, and Lamml began the laborious process of lighting the fire, using glowing coals carried in a bucket. Jack thought about the cigarette lighter he'd given Skaara, so many years before. Eventually, the dried moss and twigs caught, and then a log, and soon the bonfire was fully ablaze. Daniel stepped near him.

"Nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't be. They try anything funky, they're dog food."

"My hero."

"Oh, you betcha."

They stared at the fire, hypnotic on any world. Carter and Teal'c returned from their explorations. "Sir."

"Find anything?"

"We did. Major Carter believes the mineral to be quite abundant here."

"Excellent. Let's see what happens next."

What happened next was Lamml stopped by, a little nervous, very unlike Ocker. Others began to gather as well; like watching the television when Jack was a little boy, all the neighbors piled into one living room, staring. Lots of quiet conversation, some giggling by the little kids, some flirting by the few young couples. People dragging up logs to use as benches, or putting down ratty blankets, as if at a picnic. Except it was cold and drizzly, hardly picnic weather, Jack thought.

Next to him, Daniel stood quietly, his face tense in the flickering orange light of the fire and the dying sun's rays. Carter stood next to him, and Teal'c behind him; Jack thought they looked good together like that. SG-1, doing what it was supposed to. He was proud of them, proud of Daniel, despite his apprehension.

At last, Lamml called the people to order, clapping his hands and whistling over their conversations. Ocker strode up, his hair wilder than ever; he smiled at Daniel in a way that made Jack grip his P90 even tighter. "Gonna get that guy," he murmured to Daniel, in the hopes of making him smile, but Daniel only looked more nervous.

"You are challenger," Ocker said in a booming voice. "You begin."

"I do not challenge you," Daniel replied firmly, and the crowd went "oooh." Ocker's eyes grew round.

"Then you submit to me!"

"No, I didn't say that. But I did not challenge you. It is not the custom of my world to challenge others. We are peaceful explorers, come to learn from you. If there is a challenge, it is from you."

Lamml raised his eyebrows, and Jack realized he was a sort of referee. "This is true, Ocker. You challenged him."

"But the visitor *always* challenges. Why else come here?"

"We come to learn, to explore. Not to challenge."

Jack thought Ocker looked distinctly puzzled, but Lamml continued smoothly. "Very well. Ocker, since you challenged this man, you will begin."

Ocker looked a bit disgruntled, but shook back his frizzy hair and straightened his shoulders. He stalked up to Daniel; Jack tensed and prepared to knock him on his ass. He saw Teal'c and Carter do the same. Daniel stood straight and calm, only the furrow between his brows revealing his concern. Ocker stopped about two feet from Daniel and stared at him, then turned toward the crowd.

He did look impressive, Jack thought. The fire added color to his face and hair, and he looked quite wild. He wasn't a tall man, but he was well-built and nicely muscled. His ratty clothing revealed a lot of hairy leg, including one firm thigh gleaming in the light. Next to him, Daniel looked as meek and mild as a lamb.

"I am Ocker, of Ayastd," he began in a strong voice that carried well, and Jack watched the people of his village settle down to listen. "I tell you the story of Orvid of Estes, and how he found the sun."

Oh shit, Jack thought, and hunkered down on a damp log. Story time yet again. Ocker plunged into the story, telling it dramatically, in phrases that Jack realized were set ones, probably handed down. A Homer, he figured, telling old stories in new ways. And the crowd liked this one, he could tell. They murmured appreciatively when Orvid kissed his wife goodbye, and wept when she disappeared in the eternal darkness after the sun was stolen.

Jack's thoughts drifted for a while. He checked out the village and people as surreptitiously as he could, keeping Ocker in the corner of his eye in case this challenge involved more than words. The rain lightened and then stopped, but it grew colder. Soon, Ocker's words were puffed out in little white clouds. Jack saw Daniel shiver; he looked miserable in the cold. Nothing like Abydos here in Ayastd. No place either Jack or Daniel would want to live.

Ocker seemed to be winding up. The crowd was definitely with him, following his every word, some of them even speaking the words under their breath. Jack wondered how Daniel was going to compete with this. "And Orvid kissed his wife," Ocker cried passionately, "under the full light of the midday sun, and the birds sang and the ayak barked and their children played at their feet."

The crowd went ahhhh, and Ocker stood proudly before them, enjoying their appreciation of his talents. After nearly a minute, he turned to Daniel.

Daniel had drawn back a bit from Ocker as he'd spoken, but now he stepped forward, into the light, which caught his hair and eyes. He'd taken off his glasses, which made him look younger and more vulnerable, and pulled off his hat. Jack thought he looked somber, knew he was terrified, and hoped he had a helluva story ready.

"I am Daniel, of the Tau'ri," he said firmly, and Jack began to relax. "I am here to tell you the tale of Gilgamesh, and of his beloved Enkidu, and how the gods cannot be trusted. This tale was first told four millennia ago, by the Maker Shin-eqi-unninni."

Jack raised his eyebrows and glanced at Teal'c and Carter, who were watching not far to his left. They were staring at Daniel, who said, "Fame haunts the man who visits Hell, who lives to tell my entire tale identically. So like a sage, a trickster or saint, Gilgamesh, the one who saw all, I will declare to the world. Gilgamesh, the one who knew all, I will tell about."

And then he did. Jack had heard the name Gilgamesh, of course, although he'd always thought it was the name of a city, not the king of Uruk. And he certainly didn't know about Enkidu, the wild man created to be beloved of Gilgamesh. At first, he thought maybe he identified with Gilgamesh, but when he discovered how learned Gilgamesh was, he thought maybe Daniel was. Then, when he learned how strong and fierce Enkidu was, he thought maybe he was Enkidu to Daniel's Gilgamesh. He smiled to himself, and looked out at the villagers, listening closely. Not a tale they'd heard before.

He was a little shocked by Gilgamesh claiming the right to have sex with brides on their marriage night, and, when Enkidu challenged him not to do so, Jack identified even further when him. So after Enkido and Gilgamesh had fought and torn up half the city, he was even more shocked when Daniel declaimed, "Then Enkidu and Gilgamesh joined in sacred friendship and sealed their solemn bond with noble kiss."

Daniel paused, and Jack heard again Rolf insisting he must kiss Daniel. *Must* kiss. Enkidu and Gilgamesh had kissed. A noble, passionate kiss. Daniel sighed and began again, and told how Enkidu had been killed by the fickle goddess Ishtar, and how Gilgamesh had mourned the death of his beloved:

"I was family and friend to Enkidu," Daniel said quietly, "and I shall   
fill the woodlands where we stalked with loud, sad sobs today.   
I cry now, Enkidu, like some crazed woman. I howl.   
I screech for you because you were the ax upon my belt   
and the bow in my weak hand; the sword within my sheath,   
the shield that covered me in battle; my happiest robe,   
the finest clothes I ever wore, the ones that made me look best in the eyes of the world.   
That is what you were; that is what you'll always be."

Jesus. Jack thought of Kawalski, the battles they'd fought, the things they'd done. And he thought of Daniel himself; how often had Jack thought he was dead? How many times had he mourned his friend? The ax upon my belt, the bow in my weak hand, the sword within my sheath.

Shit. Whoever wrote this knew about losing somebody.

Jack lost track of the story for a while, remembering lost friends, memorial services, wakes, and funerals. Times with friends, and times alone. He looked up when he realized Daniel's voice had trailed off. There was a long silence, long enough that Jack watched Daniel's confidence drain, and then Lamml stood up.

"As you do not know our customs, I will tell you that now Ocker speaks again. This time, a tale of his own, a private story. Then you will speak of yourself to us, so we may judge you. Then we choose: who between you is the greater Maker? If we cannot decide, there will be one more story each."

Lamml sat and Daniel stepped aside for Ocker again. Jack groaned. Jesus, two more stories? He wasn't sure he could take it. He glanced at his chronometer and then at Daniel. How was he holding up? Must be strange, to give a performance like that and then not get any applause. Nothing. Just the intense silence.

Ocker started talking. "I will tell you the story of when I visited Shimta fifteen moons ago," and Jack thought he'd fall asleep from boredom. He watched Daniel closely, and wondered what he was planning to do. What story would he tell? He sure had a big repertoire.

Apparently Ocker's second story was also well-known; again, several in the audience were anticipating lines. Must be like listening to music to them, where they all sing along, only they tell stories. Lousy beat, can't dance to it.

When Jack's butt was numb, Ocker stopped; he looked very pleased. Must be a real knee-slapper, though Jack hadn't thought much of it. Again, Daniel walked into the light, and stood there for a moment, looking out at the crowd. He had his arms crossed in that almost-hug that drove Jack crazy. He bowed his head, took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"I will tell you the story of how I lost my beloved wife, Sha'uri, and how I sought her for so long, and how I found her, and how she came to die in my arms."

Jack snapped to attention, biting his tongue in shock. Both Carter and Teal'c straightened up, too, and Carter looked pleadingly at him. What did she want him to do, interrupt? He looked at Daniel, who refused to look at any of them but stared into the crowd.

"My wife was as beautiful as the morning, and as sweet as fresh water. She loved me and made me happy, and gave me the best year of my life. She was my friend and my lover and my heart's desire. Her name was Sha'uri, and I would not have you forget it. Sha'uri. Woman of the morning, daughter of Kasuf, wife to Daniel Jackson. Sha'uri, whom I lost but who lives on in my heart."

And then, to Jack's mortification, he told the story of losing Sha'uri, and how Jack promised they'd get her back, that they'd search the galaxy for her, and how they did search, and fought. After the third time Daniel said, "And Jack promised," Jack thought he'd fall off his log and crawl under it in shame. He couldn't take his eyes off Daniel's face, glowing in the fire, glowing with the passion of his love and loss. Jesus. He wasn't sure he could take this.

Carter, he noticed, had tears shining in her eyes, and Teal'c looked unhappier than he'd ever seen. He'd stood, staff weapon in hand, as if acknowledging that he'd chosen Sha'uri, and that he'd killed Sha'uri.

When that moment in the story came, Daniel's voice grew stronger. "She sent me a message," he told his rapt audience. "That she loved me, had always loved me, would always love me. Even as I lost her, I gained her. My wife. My beloved. She died free, in my arms, by my friend's hand. Sha'uri."

There was a long moment, and then he dropped his head. Jack couldn't stand it; he jumped up and pulled Daniel away from the fire and back to where Teal'c and Carter stood. "You didn't have to do that," he said intently. "No fucking naquadah was worth it."

"Daniel," Carter said, and then swallowed.

"No. No, it's okay," Daniel told them. He leaned against Jack for a minute, recovering a bit, and then straightened. "Really. I want to tell her story. She was so brave. She suffered so much. I want people to remember her. I want to talk about her."

Jack hugged Daniel roughly, jerking him to his chest so he banged into the P90 hanging there. "Ow," he said, but Jack didn't let go.

"Dammit, Daniel," was all he could say. When he released him, Carter hugged him, too, kissing his cheek in a very non-military way, and then Teal'c put his big hand on Daniel's shoulder. He didn't speak, but Jack knew Daniel understood what he was saying.

At last the four of them turned back to the fire, where Lamml was patiently waiting. Ocker was behind him, and looked very unhappy. "No more stories are needed, Maker. Your words will long be remembered in Ayastd, and we honor your Sha'uri. Welcome, friends."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Lamml, and thank you, Ocker, for sharing your wonderful stories. Thank you for this.

"Now my people are tired and wish to rest. Is there a place we may set up our camp?"

"If you wish, by this fire. We will bring you food and drink, and tomorrow we ask you to bless us."

Daniel nodded again, and then they were surrounded by the villagers, murmuring to him words of sorrow and remembrance. "Sha'uri," Jack heard over and over again, each time a knife in his heart. He walked around the bonfire until he found a flat place where their tents could easily be set up, and started unpacking them. Teal'c and Carter joined him, but Daniel was kept busy for a long time.

Hours and hours later, Jack was finally able to crawl into his sleeping bag in the tent he shared with Daniel. He was sick of this place; he didn't care if it was fucking *made* of naquadah, he just wanted off this world. He was so tired his bones hurt, and his head was throbbing. He swallowed some ibuprofen and jerked the bag over his head, not looking at Daniel.

He woke a few hours later, wondering what he was hearing, and then realized it was Daniel crying. Soft little sobs. The tears of a man ashamed to weep in front of his friends. Jack's throat tightened, and he clenched the sleeping bag in his hands. He fucking hated this place.

He heard movement, some scuffling, and then whispers. Carter, creeping into their tent. He resolutely kept his back turned to them. "Daniel," she whispered, and he could tell she was crying, too. "Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry."

Daniel didn't say anything, but he cried a little harder. It was the most horrible sound Jack had ever heard, his friend crying in the night in the lap of his 2IC. He checked his chronometer; it wasn't even ten in the evening on earth, but who the fuck knew what time it was here.

At last, he couldn't stand it. He flipped back the sleeping bag and scrambled out of it. "Out, Carter," he said brusquely. She looked up at him, the tears on her face glimmering in the dim starlight. He jerked his head and she reluctantly obeyed. Daniel wiped his face and rolled over so his back was toward Jack.

"Daniel."

"Sorry."

"No. I don't want you to apologize. You never fucking apologize for mourning Sha'uri, you hear?" To Jack's horror, his own voice broke. He knew Carter and Teal'c were eavesdropping; Jesus, what a nightmare. "Come here. Come here, goddammit." Daniel sniffed and rolled onto his back. Jack crawled nearer and sat cross-legged next to him, and then pulled Daniel's shoulders and head into his lap. Daniel let him, but turned his face away. Jack stroked his hair again and again, then plucked a kleenex from Daniel's pack and wiped his face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save Sha'uri," he finally said. "I don't think I ever told you that, and I'm sorry for that, too. She was a beautiful, strong woman. And she loved you so much, Daniel. I could see that. You were a good husband to her." Daniel made a little noise, but Jack kept stroking his hair. "You go to sleep now, okay? I'll just sit here for a while. You go on to sleep."

Daniel still didn't speak, but Jack heard him sigh heavily, and as the night wore on, felt his muscles finally start to relax. He continued to stroke Daniel's hair, again and again, hoping to soothe him, until finally he heard Daniel fall asleep, his familiar night sounds filling the tent.

He spent the night in that position, his legs cramping and numb. A kind of penance, he supposed, or punishment for his failure. Only when the dreary light of another drizzly day began to grow did he gently pull away and tuck Daniel into his sleeping bag. He got up and took a walk around the village, watching another dawn on another alien world. He was tired and achy and couldn't stop thinking about Daniel's sad face as he'd told his story last night.

Today they'd have to begin negotiations for the naquadah that Carter said was here, prepping the way for the diplomatic team. Find out if the Goa'uld really did still visit here. That would take the rest of the day, maybe two, and then they'd go back through the stargate. And then he was gonna get drunk off his ass.

Daniel woke early, too, for him, although still last. Carter had fixed coffee, never the happiest of occurrences, but both Daniel and Jack drank it down gratefully enough. Daniel kept his eyes on the muddy ground as he started to clean up. "I'll do it," Carter told him.

"Let her," Jack said suddenly, surprising them both.

"No, she -- it's my turn, Jack."

"That's okay, Daniel."

"Yeah. Carter, I owe ya one. Daniel, I want you to come for a walk with me."

Daniel looked surprised and a little shocky, but he obediently handed his mug to Carter and stood up, shaking out his trousers. "Negotiations open today," Jack said awkwardly, and Daniel nodded.

"I guess we should start with Lamml. He seems to be in a position of some authority."

"Yeah. I was thinking the same thing."

They walked in silence for a while, heading away from the village and their camp. Their boots squelched unpleasantly through the mud and kept their pace slow. Jack thought about Daniel's miserable night, and his feelings toward Daniel. How much he cared about him, and for him. He sighed, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Rolf was right, goddammit. He did want to kiss Daniel. He needed to kiss Daniel, to let Daniel know how he felt. Because, as Rolf had reminded him, what if he died? Charlie had died, Sha'uri had died, Kawalski had died -- they both had lost so many people they'd loved.

But not here, he decided, looking at Daniel's face, pale in the gloomy morning. Not here. Not when Daniel was still so fragile. Jack sighed again.

At last, Daniel said, "Jack. About last night --"

"No, Daniel. I told you. Don't you apologize."

"Well, it's just --"

"Daniel. What part of 'no' don't you understand?" Daniel smiled, a little, still watching the ground closely. "This isn't the place I'd choose," Jack finally said. "Not the time or the place. But I gotta tell you, Danny: you're the bravest son of a bitch I've ever known. I have more respect for you than any other soldier I know. So don't you apologize, okay?" Jack's voice, he noticed, was a bit raspy by the end, and Daniel's head had dropped even lower, but Jack could see a little smile on his face.

After a while, he said, "Thank you, Jack. That, uh, that means a lot. To me."

"Well, it should. Nearly killed me to say it." Jack nudged Daniel's shoulder, and they walked on a bit more. "Oughta get back. Talk to that Lamml guy."

"Yeah. Yeah."

Daniel was right, the Goa'uld had visited Ayastd before, but not in these people's lifetimes. They had tales of glowing eyes and gods who stole children, but they were used to frighten children into behaving. Whatever snake had claimed this planet hadn't found it worth returning to, or more likely had been killed in some infighting. But Lamml and the other leaders of the little community were open to the idea of trading for the right to mine naquadah, so Jack was able to leave with a sense of mission accomplished. The rest would be up to other people, out of his control. SG-1 was the field unit for first contact, and they'd done their bit.

Stepping through the stargate onto the ramp into SGC always felt good. Today, he could've kissed Hammond, but he settled for a smile and a minimum of grousing as they headed off to the infirmary.

They were cleared, of course, to go home, and Jack hotfooted it out of the mountain, striding toward his truck with enormous relief, when he saw Daniel standing at his Volvo. In the unfriendly glow of the parking lot's street lights, he still looked a little shocky, although Jack knew Frasier would never have released him if there was anything wrong. Jack stood by the passenger door of his truck and studied Daniel; he was moving in slow motion, unlocking the door and opening it.

Jack knew he'd done a lot of shitty things in his life. Some bad things, some terrible things, and a couple good things. He prided himself on not shirking his duty, no matter how distasteful that duty might be. He knew he'd hurt people, including Daniel, many times; he knew that he was arrogant and flip and occasionally insensitive. Sometimes he prided himself on that, but tonight, he just felt tired. Too tired. He needed to do the right thing and stop shirking this duty.

Then Daniel finally started the car's engine. Jack trotted toward him, but it was too late, Daniel left too quickly, his taillights gleaming in the dusk. Jack watched him for a few seconds. What a pain in the ass, he thought as he stalked back to his truck. But at least it would be over soon.

His hands were sweating by the time he turned into Daniel's street. Daniel's car was there, but he had gone, presumably up to his apartment. Jack circled slowly until he found a space, then pulled in. He wiped his hands on his trousers, got out, and headed to Daniel's. He had decided to be completely factual, completely matter of fact when he talked to Daniel about what Rolf had said. No big deal. Just leveling the playing field.

But when he saw Daniel's anxious face at the door, his worried blue eyes behind those glasses, those strong eyebrows knitted together in concern, all he could think of was how embarrassed Daniel would be, how embarrassed *he* would be, and that he should've let it go. They stood in the doorway for an awkward moment, and then Daniel opened it wider. "Jack. Hi. Uh. Hi."

"Hi. Um, sorry to barge in --"

"No, it's okay. Come in. Uh, I've got some chardonnay, and that coffee you like."

Jack really wanted a strong drink, scotch, the good stuff, but he knew he needed a clear head. "Coffee'd be good." At least this gave him some time; coffee took a while to prepare according to Daniel's careful specifications and they'd be more relaxed in the kitchen. Jack sat at Daniel's kitchen table and watched him go through the familiar ritual. His head was bowed, with exhaustion and grief Jack knew, because he felt the same way. There buzzed a taut connection in his chest, as if he were tied to Daniel and Daniel's mood, after so many years together.

I have to do this, he thought again. He remembered how many times before he'd tried, but each time, his courage had failed him. But he owed it to Daniel. Godammit, he loved Daniel. And after Ayastd, he wanted nothing more than to protect Daniel. He sighed heavily, and Daniel glanced at hiim over his shoulder, looking even more worried than when he'd answered the door.

At last the coffee was brewed, and their mugs poured, and Jack sat, looking over the steaming coffee at Daniel as he sipped his with obvious pleasure. "Good job," he told Daniel. Jack felt ridiculously pleased as Daniel's face glowed in the warmth of his praise.

"So. Jack. Um. What can I do for you?"

Jack took another, longer drink of the coffee, then set the mug down. He sighed. Daniel sat his mug down, too, and rested his hands on the table, his long fingers intertwined. Jack tapped the table restlessly, then reached out and put his hand on top of Daniel's.

"This is really hard to tell you," he admitted. "Really hard. And I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. But it's been makin' me crazy, Danny. It's why I had to get away for a few days, back when we first got back from Rolf's planet."

"Jack. You're scaring me a little. What does Rolf have to do with this?"

"Sorry. Sorry." He pulled his hand back and wrapped both of them around his coffee. "Daniel. Shit." He stared at his friend, now looking on the verge of a panic attack. His eyes were wide, his brow furrowed deeply, and his skin very pale in the harsh light of the kitchen. Jack felt a rush of tenderness so powerful that his hands shook, and coffee sloshed in his mug.

This was Daniel in front of him. Strong, brilliant, quirky, brave beyond reason, and Jack was frightening him. He couldn't let this moment stretch on any longer. "Dammit, Daniel. I'm so fucking sorry, but. Daniel. I love you. I really, really fucking love you."

God. He sounded pathetic. Whiny, like a teenage girl. Fuck. But he kept his eyes level, even though he could feel his face blushing furiously. Second time in one night. Jesus.

Daniel's gaze remained even, his demeanor calm, although his eyes were wide behind his glasses. Jack noticed his mouth was damp from the coffee, and watched as he licked a drop away. He closed his eyes at the sight.

At last Daniel said, "You love me. I, uh, actually knew that."

Jack opened his eyes. "No, I don't think you did."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Jack --" but Jack was on a roll. "Listen to me," he said over Daniel's words. "I love you, and it's killing me, not being able to, uh." He swallowed. "To tell you. To, uh." He was running out of steam. Goddamn Rolf anyway. What a stupid idea this had been.

"To what?"

Daniel still looked calm, Jack thought, listening to his own heart thumping erratically. His hands were slick again, as they had been in the truck on the way over, and he wiped them on his trousers. To what? Daniel had asked.

"I suppose it's too late to say 'never mind.'"

Daniel smiled. "Um, yes." He reached out and took one of Jack's hands, mirroring Jack's own gesture a few minutes ago. "Tell me, Jack. I think I need to know what it is you want to do."

Jack stared at him, trying to think. Kiss him, Rolf had said. Must kiss him. "To kiss you," he admitted.

"How do you feel about that?"

Jack was amazed; what was this, Oprah? "How do I feel about it? About wanting to kiss you? How do you think I feel about it? It's making me nuts. I can't think about anything else. We're in a goddamn briefing, and I'm thinking about kissing you. Walking up the ramp to the gate. Reading my email. Dammit, Daniel. I hate it, except I love you, and, jeez. I dunno." He paused, working his jaw. "How do you feel about it?"

Daniel smiled at that, and blushed, and Jack felt his own blush return yet again. "Okay. I, uh. Yeah. But Jack."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Military, men, supervisor. I haven't thought of anything else since, since I realized this." They continued to stare at each other for another few seconds. Then Jack asked, "Did I just fuck up our friendship?"

"No. No, I'm fine."

"You're fine."

"How are you?"

Jack thought about that, killing some time by taking another sip of his cooling coffee. "Fine," he said at last. "I'm fine. So we're fine? It's fine?"

"We're fine. It's fine. You did fine. Except you didn't. Uh, kiss me."

After another pause, Jack said hoarsely, "You want me to kiss you?"

Daniel looked evenly at him; suddenly, Jack couldn't hear anything but his heart pounding. This was it. Daniel was in charge here. Well, hell, Daniel was always in charge of their relationship. Even if Daniel didn't know that.

"Yes. I do. I want you to kiss me."

They stared at each other, separated by a table and years of social conditioning. Or at least Jack was; he realized he didn't know about Daniel. He was an intellectual and a scholar. No telling what he'd been up to during his student days. But Jack was military. And he was terrified. Level playing field, my ass, he thought. I just gave Daniel the keys to the Humvee.

So Jack stood up and motioned for Daniel to stand, then stepped around the table and put his hands on Daniel's shoulders. He watched as Daniel licked his lips again, and remembered him doing that at the university Rolf had taken them to. Daniel stepped nearer to Jack, so the fronts of their bodies were lightly touching, and Jack thought he'd be scorched with the heat they were generating. He bit his own lips, took a deep breath, and leaned forward, feeling twelve years old.

Kissing Daniel was as good as he'd hoped it would be, he discovered. Kissing him was lots better than imagining kissing him, or thinking about the possibility of kissing him, or listening to Rolf tell him to kiss him. Kissing Daniel was the best thing Jack had ever done, and he pulled Daniel closer, snugging their bodies more tightly together, and ran his hand daringly down Daniel's muscular back. Daniel, to Jack's great pleasure, moaned, and Jack felt his heart twist with desire and pleasure. It was almost painful to want someone as much as he wanted Daniel at that moment.

At last they separated a bit, still clinging to each other. "Thank you, Rolf," Jack murmured, and Daniel smiled, then Jack began kissing him again. He hadn't kissed Daniel before and he had a lot of years of kissing to make up for. He felt Daniel's dick harden against his thigh where it pressed up against him, and gave a little push against it, making Daniel cry out into his mouth. He was pretty excited himself and wondered what the hell the next step was and how to take it.

Fortunately, Daniel seemed to know. He dropped his hands down to Jack's lower back and then, with a brief pause, cupped his ass and pulled him even closer. Jack thought he'd explode right there. "Oh, god, Danny," he moaned, and began kissing Daniel's face and throat and ears. Daniel was panting and humping up against him, squeezing his butt firmly.

"Please," he finally heard Daniel say. "Can we lie down?"

"Yeah, oh, yeah," and he let Daniel lead them to his bedroom. They lay down and resumed kissing and rubbing against each other; it was the most exciting thing Jack had done in years. Partly, he supposed, because it was so forbidden, but mostly because it was Daniel he was holding and kissing and rubbing up against. "Clothes?" he asked eventually, and Daniel kicked off his shoes, but they got no further than that. He finally shoved his hand down the front of Daniel's trousers, into the moist burning heat there, and firmly seized his dick. Daniel cried out almost as if in pain and came in his hand, messy and very very hot. Jack smiled to himself and kept kissing Daniel firmly, establishing a kind of ownership over his body.

Finally, he slung one leg over Daniel and lay down on top of him, carefully fitting himself against Daniel, and with only a few pushes, came himself. He held on firmly, feeling near tears. Then he sighed, raised his head, and began kissing Daniel again. Beneath his abdomen, he felt Daniel begin to harden again.

So this is kissing Daniel, he thought. Rolf was one hundred percent right. He'd have to thank him, next time he saw him.

They eventually got undressed and, a bit later, under the covers. Jack, to his pleasure, recovered to have another orgasm, this time in Daniel's hands; Daniel came again, too, staring into Jack's face as if at a rare and valuable treasure. And he was so, so grateful. "Thank you," he kept whispering between kisses, "Thank you, thank you, Jack."

Jack was ashamed that Daniel was so grateful for his attention. "I love you," he told Daniel firmly. "I want to do this. Don't act like I'm doing you some big favor. It's completely selfish. I have to bind you to me with my sexual prowess."

That made Daniel laugh, but the look of loving gratitude never left his eyes, and he kissed Jack so tenderly that the tears threatened yet again. "I love you, too," he finally admitted, and Jack put his arms around Daniel's neck, resting his head against Daniel's throat, and thought: This is where I should be. This is who I should be with.

"I know," he finally said. "Rolf told me. Otherwise I'd never have found the courage to do this."

"What does this have to do with Rolf?" Daniel asked again.

"He, uh, told me to tell you. That I loved you. And he said he knew. That you. You know, loved me. And that I needed to tell you. And he."

"And he?" Daniel said after Jack didn't continue.

Just say it, asshole. "He said I should kiss you. That I *must* kiss you."

"Is that why he came through the wormhole?"

"Naw. He told me on the planet. The first day."

"That's been, like, two months now. A little more."

"Yup." Jack felt a bit more in control, now that the worst was over. "It took me that long to decide he was right, and then I had to work up the courage, and figure out how to do it. And then Ayastd happened --" He stopped talking abruptly.

"Ayastd?"

"Yeah. That asshole Ocker, making you tell stories. When you." Jack swallowed. Jesus, this was so fucking hard. "When you told them about Sha'uri. It reminded me. Of." Daniel was looking at him so tenderly that Jack's throat threatened to close up. He swallowed again. "We've lost so much, Danny," he whispered at last. "I can't lose you."

Daniel stared at him, and rolled nearer, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck and shoulders. Jack felt close to tears, and gently kissed Daniel, then pulled back enough to look into his face. Daniel suddenly smiled at him, brilliantly, wonderfully, delightedly, and Jack pulled him back, to kiss him again, his lips, his face, his throat, his ears, his shoulders, and then back up his throat to his lips again, those sweet lips tasting of coffee and Daniel.

Much later that night, they lay in a loose embrace, lightly dozing. Daniel said, "What now, Jack?"

"Whatever you want."

"More of this?"

"All the time."

"But."

"Yeah, I know. Remember? I really do know. We'll keep it off base. We'll keep it to ourselves. It's all up to you, not up to other people we don't know and don't care about."

Daniel kissed him again. "I'm totally freaking here."

"I did that already, so I guess it's your turn. I'll probably freak again later."

"So we'll take turns?"

"Yeah. Sounds fair. Can you sleep now?"

"I guess. I am pretty tired."

"Jesus, you should be. We'll talk more in the morning. Hell, we'll talk for the rest of our lives, if you like. You know," he said, suddenly shy. "If you want the rest of our lives."

"I might. You know, if you do."

"Yeah." Jack kissed Daniel. "Night."

"Night."

Not that different than sleeping in the same tent, Jack thought, and then laughed at himself for the bullshit. Yeah, okay, different. But good. Very, very good. He really would have to thank Rolf.


End file.
